Zuyderland hospital closes intensive care in Heerlen | Domestic

Zuyderland must reorganize and close one intensive care unit due to the staff shortage. “If we continue as we are now, the inspectorate would close both ICs within a few years,” said board chairman David Jongen van Zuyderland.

Sittard-Geleen is preferred as the location of the IC over Heerlen, because establishing the IC in Heerlen would be 230 million euros more expensive. A new hospital will be built in Heerlen before 2030. With this choice, no IC needs to be included in the construction plans.

There was a lot of resistance to the reorganization. That is why the hospital decided to organize a major consultation round. Based on this, the so-called steering table made advice for the reorganization.

The steering table concludes that moving the IC to Sittard-Geleen is the best option for the organization of care in South Limburg. All hospital deliveries will also be moved to Sittard-Geleen.

The hospital in Heerlen remains open day and night for emergency care. Planned operations will also continue to be performed there, specialists will hold their consultation hours there and patients can be admitted there.

Mayor Roel Wever of Heerlen reacts shocked and angry to Zuyderland’s decision. “For a region such as Parkstad and surrounding municipalities, with 300,000 inhabitants, this is simply a loss. In my opinion, this is simply not possible.”

The municipality of Heerlen has committed itself to maintaining two fully-fledged hospitals in Heerlen and Sittard-Geleen. The municipality will now consider further steps. “We certainly won’t leave it at that,” says Wever.

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