“We are just not drinking coffee,” said cardiologist Wilco Tanis at Jinek yesterday. According to him, it is an unreal feeling, while his colleagues on the IC have to work so hard. People seem to be afraid of putting too much strain on healthcare, or fear that they will quickly catch the corona virus in a hospital. As a result, people go on with dangerous complaints for far too long.
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The cardiologists’ association sees a 50 percent decrease in people with acute complaints. This includes people with chest pain, but also strokes and even acute paralysis. The result is that people get permanent damage or become disabled.
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Cardiologists are certainly not alone in dealing with this. GPs, the first point of contact for care, also notice that it is calmer in their practices. The two most important GP associations see that their members are very busy in the areas that have been hit hard by corona, but the opposite is the case in other places. The patients stay there.
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“We do not want people to ignore the so-called alarm symptoms that need acute care,” said a spokesperson for the Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG). She emphasizes that even minor complaints can still be presented to the doctor.
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Ordinary care continues, despite the coronavirus, say the NHG and the Landelijke Huisartsen Vereniging. “This is done in a safe way: non-corona patients are seen separately by the GP from the patients with (suspected) COVID-19.” If you have any concerns, you can first check Thuisarts.nl for advice, and if that does not help, you can simply contact your doctor.
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Headache, hard bellies and blood loss
The shock is also good for pregnant women. Although RIVM continues to emphasize that pregnant women (and their unborn children) do not run any additional risks, many women appear to be afraid of reporting health complaints. Still, there is no reason to avoid a consultation, says gynecologist Jelle Schaaf.
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In his work he deals with pregnancies, but also all kinds of other complaints. Care for pregnant women continues as usual, but there too he sees a significant drop in the number of consultations. Women with headaches, hard bellies, blood loss or who feel their child move less are less likely to contact them. While it can all point to complications.
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And that is not only in the Flevo hospital where Schaaf works. He is also part of his weekly consultation with hospitals in the region and the national association of gynecologists is also concerned. Schaaf even created a special FAQ site to reassure pregnant women.
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“We have created a completely separate department here for pregnant women and partners who have complaints that may be related to a corona infection,” says Schaaf. “By separating it, the chances of catching something here are very small.” Every hospital has taken such measures, he says.
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The fear that you are overburdening the care is also unjustified, because hospitals are now geared up to run emergency care (which includes pregnancy). “You really have to call as easily as you normally would”, he says. “Know that extra measures have been taken in the hospital.”
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Disaster incalculable
Although GPs, gynecologists and cardiologists deal with very different patients, they all share the same concern: that by avoiding care, people endanger themselves. Cardiologist Wilco Tanis even says that she is afraid that people will die if it continues like this. “If those people stop reporting, the disaster can no longer be predicted.”
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