The intensive care unit (IC), emergency room for serious cases and emergency delivery department of the Zuyderland Hospital in Heerlen will close. All these hospital functions will move to Geleen, 17 kilometers away, before 2030. Costs are the deciding factor.
The Heerlen region retains a quarter of the current number of hospital beds: of the 400, 110 remain.
Mayor Heerlen: “The deforestation in a region that needs so much care is unacceptable”
The region around Heerlen is the poorest and unhealthiest in the Netherlands and scores poorly when it comes to life expectancy, obesity and smoking. The area is also experiencing a strong aging population.
The aging population also leads to a shortage of personnel. “It means that an ICU and ER for complex cases will no longer be able to be maintained in two places in 2030, not even now,” explains David Jongen, chairman of Zuyderland. He already proposed a concentration of certain functions last year. After all the commotion that arose afterwards, a management table led by independent chairman Lea Bouwmeester (former Member of Parliament of the PvdA) looked at the various options.
With the concentration of the ICU, the ER and hospital births, Heerlen loses out on costs: keeping these departments in Heerlen is 231 million euros more expensive than concentrating in Geleen. Bouwmeester: “Care will not improve for that amount. You’re throwing money away. And with the current proposal, supported by all healthcare professionals in the region, quality does improve.” The hospital in Geleen dates from 2009. The hospital in Heerlen dates from 1968 and is no longer available.
In election debate it would remain open
In an election debate on SBS6 last November, Geert Wilders (PVV) persuaded the party leaders of VVD, NSC and PvdA-GL to keep the Heerlen hospital open. This month, the House of Representatives adopted four motions that urged an end to the disappearance of essential parts of hospitals.
Heerlen mayor Roel Wevers (VVD) is furious about the current outcome. With the emotion clearly audible in his voice, he calls “the deforestation in a region that needs so much care unacceptable. There is no region of this magnitude that has had something similar happen to it. Apparently it’s all about money, while billions are being thrown around in other areas.”
Wevers has the feeling that he has recently been part of “a deception process”. He says he has lost all confidence in the chairman of Zuyderland. Yet he proposes to go to The Hague with him and someone from the management of health insurer CZ for an ultimate attempt “to get the millions to keep the ER and ICU open in Heerlen.” In the meantime, we will of course continue to do everything we can to lobby politicians.” Jongen says that he wants to take steps now: “Zuyderland has too few people, too great a demand for care and 2030 is too close to avoid further delays.”
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