I think it's mainly because there is a limitation of the amount of students who can start the education. Every year the government holds entry exams and only the best 1600 can start the studies. Somewhere in their studies they have to choose their specialisation (heart, children, oncology,...) And as far as I know only a small part of them is interested to become a 'housedoctor' ( the type of doctor we have to visit when we have something like a flu)
I have no reason to mock american healthcare. Sure, here in Belgium I can afford to see a doctor, but I don't know if I can find one.
My previous doctor retired and all the other doctors in the area have a patient stop. They will only give you an appointment if you already are a known patient. I can only hope one of them is willing to take me the next time I'm sick.
My dentist has so much work he doesn't answer his phone and doesn't has an online method to make appointments. You have to plan your next appointment when you visit him and his agenda is usually booked for the next 6 months.
I have one in my car because it's required by law (Belgium). I don't have one in my house and I don't know anyone who does.
I do have multiple smoke detectors and carbonmonoxide detectors. The smoke detectors are required by law but there are still people who don't have them. Last night a family of 6 died in a fire and they apparently didn't have smoke detectors.
I know that place. The borders between the Ellestraat (Hulst, NL) and the Hellestraat (Stekene, BE).
The right side of the street on the Belgian part is actually Dutch for a few 100 meters. If you look around on street view the part with a bicycle lane is Belgian, the part without it is Dutch.
It got a lot worse since covid. A lot of people who shouldn't have dogs got dogs during the lockdowns.
Before covid most people in the forest I go to were regulars. By looking around the parking lot I knew who was there. There was only one person with 2 untrained & unleashed dogs who would come there daily. He always did the same tour, so if I saw his car I'd go the same tour to avoid him.
Now it's completely different. I never see those regulars again, except for that one person who still goes the same tour. Everytime I go there I come across different people. The one thing they have in common is that they leave their dogs unleashed and their dogs don't listen.
I really miss the calm walks I could have in that forest. If I went for a walk during noon or in bad weather, I would usually be the only person around. Now I can't remember the last time I didn't come across an untrained dog during my walk.
I think it's mainly because there is a limitation of the amount of students who can start the education. Every year the government holds entry exams and only the best 1600 can start the studies. Somewhere in their studies they have to choose their specialisation (heart, children, oncology,...) And as far as I know only a small part of them is interested to become a 'housedoctor' ( the type of doctor we have to visit when we have something like a flu)