Dutch Health Minister Hears Directly from Q Fever Patients, Signaling Potential Shift in long-Ignored Crisis
‘s-Hertogenbosch, netherlands – For the first time, Dutch Health Minister Bruijn met directly wiht patients suffering from long-term complications of Q fever, a move hailed by patient advocates as a crucial first step toward long-awaited recognition of their plight. The conversation, held today, comes after years of patients feeling overlooked and unsupported following a meaningful Q fever epidemic centered in the Brabant province.
Patients shared accounts of debilitating, chronic symptoms - including fatigue – and expressed deep frustration that while goat farmers impacted by the outbreak received compensation, they themselves were left without adequate care or acknowledgement.”ther is an awful lot of pain and emotion there,” Bruijn stated after the meeting, adding that his four decades as a doctor have taught him how chronic, frequently enough-unrecognized diseases can profoundly impact lives.
Caroline van Kessel of patient institution Q-uestion, who herself experiences Q fever symptoms, described the meeting as the “ninth” time patients have attempted to engage a minister on the issue. ”It is a first step of recognition.That you can tell the minister what that has been like for you.” Van Kessel emphasized the lasting pain stemming from the feeling that the epidemic was “swept under the table” and the resulting inequality in support.
the province of Brabant is now seeking to establish an expertise centre dedicated to Q fever and post-COVID long-term complaints, addressing a gap in specialized care.Currently, Brabant patients must travel to university hospitals in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or Maastricht for treatment, as the national government’s financial support is limited to those institutions.The proposed center, possibly located at Bernhoven hospital in uden, is expected to cost millions.
King’s Commissioner Adema echoed the call for recognition, stating, “It would of course have been best if we never had to have this conversation. Everything had already been organized many years ago,but that is not the case.” While national support has been lacking until now, Van Kessel expressed cautious optimism that the minister’s visit could “mean a change,” but stressed the need for continued momentum.