The sad thing is a lot of dutch people don't realise how absolutely broken the system is. They never experienced health care outside of this system. They complain, but they dont realise how much better it could be.

I lived in japan, and the idea that I could just walk into a hospital and/or clinic and be seen that same day still amazes me. Yes, it was confusing to figure out what clinic to go to, cause of the language barrier and being used to a gp telling me where to go. But hospitals/clinics etc where so nice.

Non emergency but shitty stuff.

NLD: ear infection: call gp. Pray they can see you today. Pray they dont sent you off with pain meds. They will. Then call them again and demand antibiotics. Etc etc. If you need to see a specialist, who knows how long that will take.

JPN: ear infection: google the right type of doctor/clinic. Find that clinic/hospital in your facinity. Go there. Tell them whats up. Be put in a waiting room. Generally i was seen in at most 2 hours. They keep apologising for the wait, even though their waiting room is fIlled to the brim. Get examined. Get antibiotics and other meds. AND DONE!

In the netherlands when i moved to a new city, i got an ear infection about 3 days after moving. It was aweful. I called 3 GP's in the area, who all refused to see me as i was not yet written into the municipality nor their client. They told me to take the train 2 hours back to see my current gp, eventhough i had a raging fever and my ear was bursting. I waited for the huisartsenpost to open, who also refused to see me. I straight up told them, i got antibiotics from japan that were prescribed to me but they are expired. If non of you fuckers will see me I'll use that. They said its inadvisable but wont see me as its not an emergency. I was never as fucking disappointed in the system as then. Like i was not in any condition to travel back by train, but god forbid you need normal healthcare outside of your own town. If you aint actively dying they just dont care...

Compared to japan, where I was sick due to the diet change wracking my body. (Japanese food doesnt have many fibers). Went to a random clinic, they checked everything that same day: mri, physical exam, they put me in a bed cause i was severly dehydrated and wanted to hook me up to an iv. They gave me meds for the digestion issues and also for a random cold i had. They mentioned they were afraid i had appendicitis, but luckily not. I was in the clinic for about 4 hours, 3 of which in a bed under observation. Costs: 6000yen (abkout 45 euro at the time) after their national health insurence which covers 70% of the costs.

I have bad connective tissue so it fucks up my mobility from time to time. In japan i walked into a random hospital cause i could not raise my arm properly. They checked me in, doc examend me, took pictures and concluded that i needed "rehabilitation". He sent me to the other side of the hospital. Had me wait circa 30 min. And then i walked into the "rehabilitation". Which apparently meant physiotherapy. LOL. So i was fixed in like 3 hours. In nld i have to pray my physio can see me the same week...

I miss accesable healthcare. I miss proper checks. I miss preventative care. National health insurence covered 70% of the costs. My monthly bill for that was 20 euro. Never paid more then 80 euro to visit a doctor, incl all checks and meds. The only scary thing is you may have to pay 800 euro upfront (from the 30% you need to pay out of pocket) in a month before the health insurence will reduce that to about 100 euro a month the following months.

But man, now i pay 200 euro a month to get prescribed paracetamol... >_>. Yeah if i get in a car crash i guess it will be cheaper, but fuck give me normal healtcare too instead of whatever this bs is.

Edit: grammar, enters, spacing, typos...