A solution has been found to continue providing basic pediatric healthcare to around 20,000 children in asylum shelters in the Netherlands, Minister Bart van den Brink of Asylum and Migration and the COA announced. The municipal health services GGD GHOR will continue providing vaccinations, growth monitoring, developmental assessments, and other preventive care for the next three years while the COA slowly transitions to its new provider, NRC reported.

Youth doctors and nurses from GGD GHOR currently provide pediatric care in asylum shelters. But the Central Agency for the Reception of Asylum Seekers (COA) was required to tender healthcare for child asylum seekers in accordance with the regulations. In April, Gezondheidszorg Asielzoekers (GZA), part of the healthcare chain Arts en Zorg, won that tender.

GGD GHOR was scheduled to stop this care on October 1. But GZA wouldn’t take over until June 1, 2027. That meant that for eight months, children in asylum shelters would not have access to basic pediatric care. The issue prompted parliamentary questions in May.

On Wednesday, the COA and Minister announced that GGD GHOR will take responsibility for providing this care during the transitional period, which has been substantially extended to three years. NRC reported that GGD GHOR requested the longer transition period because it gives the service “the opportunity to recruit and retain staff and at the same time focus on a controlled transfer.”

“The chosen transitional solution with GGD GHOR Nederland is aimed at ensuring that asylum-seeking children retain access to youth healthcare even during the transitional period,” the COA said. “Work is being done on continuity and careful transfer to the future implementation situation.”

Van der Brink told parliament that he “deeply regrets that insufficient attention was paid to the necessary transitional period during the tendering process.” According to him, discussions with the parties involved showed that transitioning the care for these children from one provider to another “is complex and impactful.” To ensure this happens carefully and with children always having access to health care, a three-year bridging contract was chosen, he said.

According to the Minister, it “goes without saying that the COA, given the outcome of the tender and award to GZA as of June 1, 2027, would have preferred to prevent this.”

He also said that he “cannot yet anticipate the potential legal and financial ramifications.”