There are many wonderful things about the Netherlands, but medical treatment isn’t one of them. Foreigner beware the huisarts and their useless ‘magic powders’!
When I first arrived in Holland, a foreign friend said to me, “In the Netherlands, try your best not to get be sick, but if you do get sick, don’t put too much trust in Dutch doctors!” That sounded odd to me at the time, because doctors, in my mind, had always been the most helpful people when I was suffering from illness. So I thought, who can I trust, if I can’t trust a doctor to heal me? Later, this friend told me a dreadful story that made me believe her warning about Dutch doctors. She had once had severe abdominal pain and went to see her ‘huisarts‘ twice, but both times was told “to rest”. After resting several days, she was suffering more than ever. But what could she do? The doctor had told her to rest…. The next night she had such terrible pain she thought she would die. She rushed to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with acute appendicitis! She immediately had an operation, and the surgeon told her that if she had come to the hospital a bit later, her abdominal cavity would have become inflamed and she might’ve died!
My friend’s experience with the Dutch huisarts was terrible; my experience, thankfully, was merely funny. Earlier this year, another friend had complained that he had gone to see the doctor for his sore throat and was given some kind of strange white powder, which didn’t work at all. In fact it seemed to make his sore throat worse! I wondered what kind of medicine that white powder was? I was curious. Eventually I saw it at my friend’s place: it was called ‘carbasalaatcalcium’.
A few weeks ago I too had a sore throat and went to see my doctor. And yes, he gave me carbasalaatcalcium. Ah…the white powder! I took it for two days, but my throat soreness got no better. Then, about two weeks ago, I was suffering from backache, neck ache and a headache. So again, I went my doctor for help. “Do you still have the powder I gave you last time?” the doctor asked. I did. The doctor said, “You should use it again and it will help.” Wow, I thought, that powder must really have some magic healing powers! Again, I faithfully took the daily doses of this ‘magic powder, and again it didn’t help me feel at all better!
Life is short. After listening to my friend’s harrowing, near-death tale, I couldn’t stop thinking of the consequences of receiving no or the wrong medical treatment. In ancient times, doctors were seen as angels with magic powers to save people from pain and death. Nowadays, with all our modern techniques and medical expertise, the Dutch huisarts disappointed me by giving me this ‘magic powder’ that has power, magic or otherwise! My advice to my fellow foreign students is this: if you feel your huisarts hasn’t given you the proper medical treatment, go get yourself checked at the hospital. And my request to the doctors: please show more sincerity and responsibility to your patients; remember, they’re suffering and their lives are valuable.
When I first arrived in Holland, a foreign friend said to me, “In the Netherlands, try your best not to get be sick, but if you do get sick, don’t put too much trust in Dutch doctors!” That sounded odd to me at the time, because doctors, in my mind, had always been the most helpful people when I was suffering from illness. So I thought, who can I trust, if I can’t trust a doctor to heal me? Later, this friend told me a dreadful story that made me believe her warning about Dutch doctors. She had once had severe abdominal pain and went to see her ‘huisarts‘ twice, but both times was told “to rest”. After resting several days, she was suffering more than ever. But what could she do? The doctor had told her to rest…. The next night she had such terrible pain she thought she would die. She rushed to the hospital, where she was diagnosed with acute appendicitis! She immediately had an operation, and the surgeon told her that if she had come to the hospital a bit later, her abdominal cavity would have become inflamed and she might’ve died!
My friend’s experience with the Dutch huisarts was terrible; my experience, thankfully, was merely funny. Earlier this year, another friend had complained that he had gone to see the doctor for his sore throat and was given some kind of strange white powder, which didn’t work at all. In fact it seemed to make his sore throat worse! I wondered what kind of medicine that white powder was? I was curious. Eventually I saw it at my friend’s place: it was called ‘carbasalaatcalcium’.
A few weeks ago I too had a sore throat and went to see my doctor. And yes, he gave me carbasalaatcalcium. Ah…the white powder! I took it for two days, but my throat soreness got no better. Then, about two weeks ago, I was suffering from backache, neck ache and a headache. So again, I went my doctor for help. “Do you still have the powder I gave you last time?” the doctor asked. I did. The doctor said, “You should use it again and it will help.” Wow, I thought, that powder must really have some magic healing powers! Again, I faithfully took the daily doses of this ‘magic powder, and again it didn’t help me feel at all better!
Life is short. After listening to my friend’s harrowing, near-death tale, I couldn’t stop thinking of the consequences of receiving no or the wrong medical treatment. In ancient times, doctors were seen as angels with magic powers to save people from pain and death. Nowadays, with all our modern techniques and medical expertise, the Dutch huisarts disappointed me by giving me this ‘magic powder’ that has power, magic or otherwise! My advice to my fellow foreign students is this: if you feel your huisarts hasn’t given you the proper medical treatment, go get yourself checked at the hospital. And my request to the doctors: please show more sincerity and responsibility to your patients; remember, they’re suffering and their lives are valuable.
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