This chapter examines the intersection of historical legacies and contemporary health experiences, focusing on how individuals and communities navigate the Dutch healthcare system. The chapter highlights the complex interplay between state structures, institutional systems, and alternative healing practices when formal healthcare fails to meet individuals’ needs. In exploring how postcolonial identity negotiations shape understandings of well-being, the chapter foregrounds the nuanced relationship between communal, spiritual, and institutional forms of care. It argues that while alternative healing practices can offer profound support, they may also inadvertently obscure the need for structural transformation within healthcare systems. The chapter emphasises the importance of addressing systemic barriers rooted in colonial histories that continue to shape contemporary healthcare inequalities.