Hospitals are using far too many robots to carry out operations, the healthcare insurance board CVZ said on Monday evening.

The number of robots in Dutch hospitals rose to 16 in 2011 and this is an ‘undesirable over-capacity’, according to the CVZ.
Healthcare insurer Achmea announced on Tuesday it will no longer pay the extra needed for the use of the expensive Da Vinci robot. The standard payment for a keyhole operation will still be refunded, reports the Nos website.
The Da Vinci robot is mainly used for prostate operations and replaces the more usual keyhole procedure. Achmea says it has not been shown that a robot operation is better for the patient.
The annual number of men needing a prostate operation by a robot is around 1,200, says the Nos.