The Hague - Post Report Question and Answers
Are there any particular health concerns? What is the quality of available medical care? What medical conditions typically require medical evacuation?
This is tricky. While the Netherlands has good health practitioners, it can be difficult to access those practitioners. When you access the health practitioner, folks are generally happy with the knowledge and assistance, but there's lots of bureaucracy and triaging along the way. Emergency care also requires adjustment. The Dutch do not consider their ambulatory care to be a transport service; they do not typically allow people to appear at a hospital without prior communication, and you can almost always expect some level of triage. The Dutch perspective on medicine is also different than in the United States. For example, while Americans are quick to prescribe antibiotics, the Dutch are more by the book and won't prescribe them unless really necessary. The Embassy has a great Health Unit, which helps bridge the gap and can provide antibiotics if needed. So this means, kids are sick a lot here. Like a lot a lot. Bring as much medication as you can pack! - Mar 2025
Medical care is supposedly good, but you'll hear lots of complaints from the expat community. Dutch doctors definitely take a different approach to medicine that is more hands off. Wait times for appointments can also be pretty bad: I recently had to wait two months to get tests ordered by my doctor. People largely handle everything in country, from dentist visits to surgery. - May 2022
If you have seasonal allergies, prepare for spring. While it is absolutely lovely come spring, the pollen can be crazy. Bring antihistamine. Medical care is quite good. You may experience some language barriers, but you can work through them. One thing that some people struggle with is a physician’s hesitation towards antibiotics. - Feb 2021
None. - Jan 2019
Good if you are assertive. Don't let them tell you to take paracetamol and go home. If you're sick make them help you. They WILl, begrudgingly. Bronovo hospital knows the drill with expats and it's not too much of a challenge with them. Also, doctors make housecalls! - Feb 2015
"Take (2) paracetamol and visit your huisarts in 5 days." Overall, the Dutch are very low intervention when compared to the U.S. Western quality care is available. - Jun 2014
None. Health care is quite good although the Dutch do not dispense medicine as freely as in the U.S. It can be difficult to get simple things like cough syrup or decongestants as they prefer herbal remedies. - Apr 2014
Very good medical care.the Dutch can be slow on prescribing drugs, but i have not ha an issue. - Jul 2011
I would say the healthcare is not as great as everyone would think it to be. The Dutch have a social healthcare system where the use of referals is huge. They tend to not medicate what Americans do, and that is frustrating, especially for families with children. The Dutch tend to let ailments run their course or let them get worse until they are more or less forced to medicate. They do not believe in preventative medicine or testing. There are neighborhood doctors called Huisharts or House Doctors and they are a notch below a GP.You have to be registered to use them. - Nov 2010
Good health care, but very holistic. It is hard to get medicine. - Jul 2010
