The province is making two hundred thousand euros available to set up a Brabant health center for Q fever. The Provincial Council decided this on Friday during the discussion of the budget. At the initiative of 50PLUS, a broad group of parties made a proposal to encourage the council. With the money, a ‘quartermaster’ must start working on plans for such a center.
Earlier this week, the Provincial Executive announced that they are seriously considering contributing financially to a Brabant Q fever center. It was long hoped that the government’s 27 million euros for such a center would land in Brabant, but the outgoing cabinet preferred academic hospitals outside the province.
Because the government only wants to support university hospitals outside Brabant, patients now travel to hospitals in Amsterdam, Rotterdam or Maastricht to be helped there.
Brabant center
The council did not stop there and stuck to its intention to set up its own center. Brabant is the region where many people are affected by Q fever, a disease that is mainly transmitted by sheep and goats. The first epidemic was in 2007. Some patients have suffered long-term complaints from the disease, such as fatigue.
The province must join forces with the Ministry of Health, municipalities, health insurers and healthcare institutions to jointly set up a health center. The intention is that these parties will also contribute financially to setting up the center.
It is now or never for a Brabant Q fever center, according to 50PLUS, D66, SP, GroenLinks, PvdA, Volt, VVD and Party for the Animals. During the debate, they repeatedly called on all other parties to support the proposal, so that the Provincial Council as a whole supports the health center. Ultimately, the petitioners received support from all other parties and the proposal was adopted unanimously.
‘Last chance’
The treatment center in Brabant will probably be located in Bernhoven Hospital in Uden. The costs for this are probably in the millions. In addition to Q fever and the consequences of that disease, people who suffer from the consequences of a corona infection can also visit the treatment center.
Responsible deputy Saskia Boelema (D66) for Health underlines the importance of a treatment center on Friday. “This is the last chance to achieve that for this patient group.”