Accessibility of hospitals in Amsterdam

Description:

There are eight major hospitals in the city of Amsterdam. However, transportation to and from the hospitals is becoming more and more problematic, while the demand for transportation to and from the hospitals is increasing due to the aging of the Dutch population. Due to the relative small size of the city, transportation by bike seems most efficient. However, for patients this way of transportation is in many cases not possible. Travelling by car may take a long time due to the overloaded roads; it is difficult to find a parking place and parking is extremely expensive. Taxis in Amsterdam are expensive (in Europe, only the taxis in Vienna and Zurich are more expensive) and the quality of service is debatable. Public transport is available. There are busses and trams, but the city has no extensive metro network (currently only 4 lines are available and the 5th line is under construction since 2003). A new way of thinking is required to give patients the health care they require.

Enablers:

• Better public transport
• Cheaper and better taxi’s
• Alternative ways of transportation (e.g. electrical vehicles, bike-taxis, tuctuc’s, coaches, transport through the air, etc.)
• Innovations in medical services and health care so that the patient does not have to move to the hospital.

Inhibitors:

• Overloaded roads and public transport system
• Impossibility for cars to move through the city
• Infrastructure of the city (many, bridges, channels, narrow roads, one-way roads, etc.)
• Expensive and bad taxi system

Paradigms:

If the patient cannot come to the hospital to get its medical care, the medical care should be given at home.

Experts:

City planners Doctors Engineers ICT specialists Technological experts Patient representatives

Web resources:

• www.amsterdam.nl
• www.gvb.nl