Internet connection that takes a long time is troublesome, but the health-related problems experienced by expats here are much more worrying.

Last summer, my German friend, Tanja, packed her bags and left Holland because she could not stand the medical system.

Unlike in Japan, where patients can choose any doctor or hospital they like, in the Netherlands, all medical issues must first go through a home (family) doctor.

If you are happy with the doctor, it's a good system since they are totally familiar with the medical history and health records of each individual. But if that is not the case, you may be in trouble because they decide all the treatment one receives.

It's also not easy to change doctors since reputable ones have too many patients. Foreigners also tend to lag behind in getting adequate information.

In Tanja's case, every time she or a family member fell ill, the only thing their home doctor said was that "human bodies have the power to heal themselves," allowing them only to take paracetamol, an over-the-counter analgesic (pain reliever) and antipyretic (fever reducer).

This happened when Tanja had bronchitis, her 4-year-old son had a chest infection and her husband, Jorg, had a broken rib — or so it seemed because the truth was never known as the doctor refused to approve an X-ray saying it was too expensive, although Jorg offered to pay for it.

Belief in the natural healing power of the body seems widespread in Holland since my doctor often says exactly the same thing. Most Dutch people I know just go to bed with a paracetamol when they have symptoms that would send a Japanese to a hospital.

Overprescription and excessive medical care are bad for humans and state finances, and Japan and Germany are probably typical countries where these happen. However, coming from those two countries, the (little) treatment we get makes me quite nervous and drove Tanja away.

I sometimes wonder whether this system works because Dutch people are stronger — from their appearance and attitude, my physical strength cannot be compared to a Dutch woman's.

I fear that if I stay too long in this country and get cancer, I will still be given just paracetamol.

One day, when her younger son (2) had acute earache and the home doctor again said he could only have paracetamol, Tanja drove straight to Germany where it was found he needed surgery.

Upon her return, Tanja packed up and left for Germany with the kids, saying she could not risk her family's health any longer.

"Dutch doctors should put a bucket of paracetamol in front of their doors and lock up," she snapped.

Another worry is that like everyone else, doctors take long holidays, and are unavailable for long periods during the summer and school vacations.

There are replacement doctors, but inquiries concentrate on those few who are on duty — not very convenient when you are not allowed to go straight to a hospital unless you are dying.

One thing my doctor does, which is quite funny, is that he consults Wikipedia when confronted by symptoms that are unfamiliar to him.

Once it was a rash on my son's head that sent him rushing to Google, so I said, "I can write in Wikipedia beforehand that I need a three-month holiday for that to heal. Would you prescribe that?"

But he was so impressed by his findings there that he didn't hear me.