Eleven hospitals in the Netherlands are not in a good financial position, which threatens to jeopardise care. Smaller hospitals in particular are struggling with higher debts and dwindling buffers.
11 hospitals fail stress test
The financial situation of these eleven hospitals became apparent following the results of a stress test by BDO Accountants. This test was based on the financial reports of 2018, and academic hospitals were not included. The test says nothing about how well hospitals are performing medically, according to NOS. Stress tests are usually computer simulations applied to institutions (like hospitals) on the basis of their past record to see how they would cope with a future financial situation.
Five have failed test three years in a row
Five of the eleven hospitals in question have failed the stress test three years in a row. At the bottom of the list is the LangeLand Hospital in Zoetermeer. Furthermore, the financial situation of the Haga Hospital in The Hague, the Maas Maas Hospital Pantein, the Zaans Medical Center, the Twente hospital group, the Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital in Nijmegen and the Limburg Zuyderland are worrying, according to the report.
Half of Dutch hospitals scored an 8 or higher
However, on the plus side, there are three fewer hospitals in the danger zone than last year. And half of Dutch hospitals are scoring an 8 or higher on this stress test. Overall, the hospitals got a 7.4 on the test, in comparison to a 7.1 the year before. Nevertheless, according to BDO, there is still a “risk of care” though not an acute one, especially when some hospitals are repeatedly failing stress tests year after year.
Rising insurance costs and profits for insurance companies
What do you think about Dutch hospitals failing financial stress tests? And what has your experience of Dutch healthcare been thus far? Let us know in the comments below.
The weather in the Netherlands does love to play tricks on you because this weekend, even though it is autumn, we will be experiencing some pleasant summer temperatures. Looks like the weather never got the memo that: HEY, IT’S AUTUMN IN THE NETHERLANDS.
The dreary clouds outside right now may make it hard for you to believe, but Saturday is primed for the temperatures to rise to 20 degrees in most parts of the country, reports RTLNieuws.
Summer temperatures this weekend? Can I go enjoy the outside again?
In short, no. In long, nooooooo.
The temperatures are going to get warmer as we go towards the weekend with temperatures being 16-17 degrees on Friday, and reaching a toasty 20 degrees over the weekend. It’s going to be warm, but that doesn’t mean the sun is going to come out and play, especially on Friday. On Saturday and Sunday, you might be able to enjoy the sun. But the clouds and rain are also expected to literally rain down on your parade, reports Weeronline.
You might be able to spot a few rainbows on the weekend, but the humidity might be high.
Oh, well! What about next week?
Do you even have to ask? The temperatures are going to drop again, so enjoy it while it lasts. Autumn in the Netherlands is all rain and clouds, so we can’t expect more now, can we?
What do you have planned for the weekend? Let us know in the comments below!
To increase rail capacity and transport more passengers, NS will be trialling a self-driving train later this year. The train will be tested on the Lelystad and Zwolle route but no passengers will be on board during the trial.
Four FNV Spoor executives travelled to London earlier this year to see how the self-driving trains operate and were pleased with what they saw. Weir, a train driver told the Guardian that self-driving trains are “different – I wouldn’t say aggressive – it’s a little unnerving at first. We drivers err on the side of caution but know the limits it can go to.”
Automated operation created through a computer digital system will memorise train routes but a driver will still be on board to intervene if necessary. Ultimately, when the technology is developed and secure enough, this will allow trains to depart in shorter succession and transport more passengers, which is necessary to keep up with the demand. It is not yet known how this will affect the jobs of train drivers.
This study is being conducted by the Dutch Association of Doctors for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis (NVALT). They are conducting a survey of 1100 people who use e-cigarettes. The reported health complaints include coughing up blood, severe asthma, and one patient ending up in intensive care.
What are e-cigarettes?
E-cigarettes or electronic cigarettes is a device which runs on batteries. It heats up a liquid solution which may or may not contain nicotine, which then turns into a vapour that can be inhaled (thus the word vaping). They can look like normal cigarettes, cigars or pipes. Some of the devices can also look like pens or flash drives, and they can either be disposable or refillable.
With the results of the ongoing study, the NVALT is convinced that a total ban should be implemented as soon as possible. The chairman of the association, Leon van den Toorn said on NOS Radio 1 News, “Because of all the alarming reports that are out there and the already known harmful effects on the respiratory tract in the chronic term, we should now stop it.” He continued to say, “We’ve had the same thing with regular cigarettes. We think we should raise a warning finger right now and not in twenty years’ time if the damage has already been done.”
These discussions have also been happening in the US where hundreds of people have a lung disease that is said to have been caused by the use of e-cigarettes. Many have succumbed to it.
Recently, Mayo Clinic released a study in The New England Journal of Medicine which showed that lung tissue damage is caused by direct exposure to noxious chemical fumes, instead of an accumulation of lipids causing a rare form of pneumonia. “It seems to be some kind of direct chemical injury, similar to what one might see with exposures to toxic chemical fumes, poisonous gases and toxic agents,” says Brandon Larsen, M.D., Ph.D., a surgical pathologist at Mayo Clinic Arizona, and a national expert in lung pathology.
Is a total ban on e-cigarettes possible in the Netherlands?
State Secretary Paul Blokhuis of Health said to AD.nl that a total ban cannot be issued at the moment as he has to adhere to EU rules. However, he does want to do everything he can to reduce smoking and e-smoking.
Van den Toorn said, “We see that the State Secretary is very actively involved in this and that he is looking at what measures are possible to work on a total ban. We understand that this is not arranged so quickly in practice.” He also said that different associations in Europe will join together to try and get rid of e-cigarettes and vapes.
Do you use e-cigarettes? If you’re having any problems and need to go to the doctor, then do it now! Are you in favour of a total ban? Let us know in the comments below!
When one decides to go abroad, there are many factors to consider: where to live, the best places to go out, the culture and values, cost of living, the public transport system and of course, the culinary delights (or horrors) that a country has to offer.
If you’re like me, then you love food. Eating is not merely a matter of survival. Yes, my friend, it’s an experience.
Food brings people together. It’s an opportunity to have hilariously inappropriate conversations complete with sexual innuendo over some borrelhapjes. Food can bring about that twinge of nostalgia for that time you were on your heavenly vacation in some exotic faraway land. If you’re exceptionally hungry, food can restore you back to a normal state from the crazed grumpy person you were before you ate. Delicious nutrition can turn your mood from sour to sweet in a matter of seconds.
“Tasty” treats
Speaking of sweet, if you’ve got a sweet tooth, then you will certainly want to dive into the wonderland of sweets that whatever country you’re in has to offer. You know, get some sugar into your blood and start bouncing off the walls like a five-year-old child. Being a Canadian, I’ve had unrestrained access to junk food. So naturally, I’d want to discover how the Dutch satisfy their sweet tooth.
If you live in the Netherlands, you’ll have come across or will come across the infamous drop, otherwise known as the Dutch version of black liquorice for all you English-speakers. You’ll see these candies everywhere: at the Albert Heijn in your neighbourhood, the HEMA around the corner, the market down the street and even in pharmacies.
But don’t be fooled, these “tasty” treats are anything but ordinary. If you’re brave enough, you can even try the various eccentric drop flavours and their accompanying shapes. I shudder at the thought of those atrocities. But, to the Dutch tongue, these candies are undoubtedly super lekker!
To the foreign tongue, however, it’s something that needs preparation. If you’re trying to look pretty or half-way decent, beware, your face will distort into something that resembles a constipated gremlin or anything that doesn’t look human.
When a foreign person eats drop
The science behind the Dutch drop
Let’s take a look at this through a somewhat-scientific lens, shall we? Why do people either love or hate black liquorice? Well, according to this interesting NBC news article, it could actually be that people are born with an inherent liking or a disliking towards black liquorice. It looks like in addition to being really tall, your undying love for drop is running through your veins, Dutchies!
Let me drop some more knowledge on you (sorry, couldn’t resist). Did you know that there are actually health-related dangers when it comes to eating black liquorice? It could even cause heart problems if consumed in high quantities. Somehow, I don’t think this would deter Dutchies from consuming a shitload of drop. They are world-class pros when it comes to biking in dangerous situations so why would a little candy be any cause for concern?
So many different kinds of drops to not enjoy. Image: Angelbattle bros/Flickr
If you do feel a little worried, I have some good news. It’s somewhat contradicting but black liquorice is known to possess some health benefits too. In Chinese medicine, it is used to treat a variety of ailments.
Having a Dutch drop? Nee, dankjewel!
Whatever the case may be, I’m sure as hell avoiding drop like the plague. Ever heard of the saying, once you go black, you’ll never go back? That doesn’t apply here, at least not for people who weren’t born the natural ability to enjoy this cornerstone of Dutch cuisine.
The first time (and last time) I had drop was at work. My co-worker had an assorted bag of candy and offered some to me. I happily accepted, unaware that it also contained this strange Dutch variety of black liquorice. Unfortunately for me, that’s the one I chose. I immediately scrunched up my face in disgust and spit the half-chewed candy into the garbage followed by a “Bleh!”. Needless to say, my co-workers found my reaction amusing.
Well, regardless of whether or not you like drop, we can rejoice in the fact that generally speaking, most of us love candy, sweets, treats, sugar…whatever. I think I’ll just be sticking to stroopwafels from now on.
What about you? How do you like the Dutch drop? Let us know in the comments below!
Police have announced to take traffic delays and nuisance into account for commuters who need to pass through the Stadhouderskade at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam as environmental activists have blocked that busy traffic junction, reports NOS.
“Our government has been aware of this problem for 30 years and they are continuing to do nothing, so at some point, the time for friendly questions and petitions is over,” says one of the activists from Extinction Rebellion to NOS, the organisation that is behind organising this act of civil disobedience.
Enkele honderden klimaatactivisten hebben ondanks het verbid van de gemeente de Stadhouderskade geblokkeerd bij het Rijksmuseum. Zeker 50 tentjes staan op straat. De ME doet vooralsnog niets, op enkele aanhoudingen na. #ExtinctionRebellion#klimaat#Amsterdampic.twitter.com/Mmgx6a3Gvm
The municipality had initially banned this blockade from happening, but the activists want to use ‘civil disobedience’ to bring attention and put pressure on the government. “We use civil disobedience to force the government to do something about the climate,” says a spokesperson for Extinction Rebellion.
There have been some arrests but they don’t seem to be going anywhere – the demonstrators have pitched tents and everything! The police have asked them to move to Museumplein but they have not responded. They want to continue this protest for the whole week and is part of an international campaign. Similar protests are happening in Berlin, Paris, Sydney and London.
Klimaatactivisten omsingeld door ME. Politie roept ze op weg te gaan, anders worden ze gearresteerd. Betogers geven hier vooralsnog geen gehoor aan. #ExtinctionRebellionpic.twitter.com/v8hEd741KK
There won’t be any more activists joining them though – the police have blocked off the area around the Rijksmuseum. So take note commuters – you can’t go through Stadhouderskade, but Museumplein is free of traffic nuisance.
Do you have to go through these areas for your commute? Or are you at the protest? We want to see how it looks, so send us some pictures in the comments below!
Ahhh Vienna, the vibrant Austrian capital boasting imperial palaces, fabulous galleries and delicious food. Have you ever dreamed of an easy weekend trip from the Netherlands to Vienna? Well, your dreams may be coming true as an international train from Amsterdam to Vienna will commence from 2021.
Currently, a train ride to the Austrian capital takes just over 10 hours and includes a minimum of one transfer. The direct train would instead be an overnighter, letting passengers get their precious shut-eye on the way.
Andreas Matthä, the CEO of Austrian train company ÖBB said the company is working urgently to make a connection Brussels by January 2020. “A night train connection to Amsterdam will follow a year later,” he told RTL Nieuws.
Yep, we’re already dreaming about riding the train to Vienna and waking up in the land of Mozart, Freud, and wiener schnitzels.
What will it cost?
It’s the question on every Dutchies mind, but unfortunately we will all have to wait for the answer. The plan is still in the works so ÖBB cannot say how long the journey will be or how much it will cost – but they have confirmed that it would be an overnight train.
International train travel is becoming increasingly popular and NS saw their sales increase by 13 percent last summer. With the heightened awareness of climate change, many people are opting to travel more sustainably, which includes catching trains over flights when there is the possibility to do so.
Hielke Buisman, from the ticket travel outlet Treinreiswinkel.nl, told RTL Nieuws “We see that once people go by train, they continue to do so. It is a matter of getting acquainted. We have also seen that a good train connection can get people out of the air. Since the introduction of the Eurostar to London, fewer people catch the plane.”
Are you excited for this train? What form of transport do you prefer? Let us know in the comments below!
An estimated 25,000 people turned up last Friday, September 27, to protest the climate crisis. With that amount of people, we aren’t surprised at the level of creativity some signs displayed. We took loads of photos and whittled down our selection to only the crème de la crème.
Printing error 404: Tree not found
Someone was hungry
…and thirsty
Double whammy: some signs tackled climate change as well as another social cause
Need we say more? Veganism does good things for the planet in several ways…
Bless this sign with its ironically unplanned spacing?
Image: Teresa Gubern/Supplied
It’s not a protest without some spicy memes.
Image: Teresa Gubern/Supplied
Seriously, everyone should just print out memes and bring them to protests. Sincerity? No thanks. Memes? Always.
Save the bees!
Image: Teresa Gubern/Supplied
Sometimes, it was the costumes people wore that impressed us the most (though these are some very aesthetically pleasing signs).
The protest last Friday was super impressive- it was inspiring to see 25,000 people coming together to ask for change from the government. Were you one of them?
Glasgow airport has been partially evacuated due to the discovery of a suspicious package in a KLM plane.
All the passengers from the international section of Glasgow airport have been evacuated, according to NOS. The fire brigade rushed to the device after emergency services were called, and the aircraft was stormed by police. The aircraft has been isolated.
A spokesperson for Glasgow Airport said: “At approximately 10am today, the airport fire service attended an arriving KLM flight in response to concerns raised over a piece of cargo." 1/2 pic.twitter.com/w7R4M6f4mg
"Enquiries are ongoing to determine the content of the package and the aircraft has been cordoned off pending the outcome of the investigation. All other parts of the airport are fully operational.” 2/2 pic.twitter.com/R4UnVIUhju
It’s that time of year again: the Crossing Border Festival is back for the 27th time! A yearly staple in The Hague’s event calendar, the festival celebrates international music and literature and is well known for the incredible artists who have graced it over the years. This year is absolutely no different – so if you haven’t yet got your tickets, let this article persuade you that now is the time.
Crossing Borders is the place to be, whether you’re craving interesting conversations, new musicians to listen to, or fabulous cultural performances. In the past, the festival has played host to Mumford & Sons, Ed Sheeran and Lou Reed. This year, along with plenty of exciting musical performances from people likeKevin Morby andKate Tempest, it will have some incredible writers for you to listen to in interviews, including Daisy Johnson and Hilary Mantel.
Nature, interviews and poetry at Crossing Borders 2019
One of the most exciting events happening at Crossing Border this year is the Nature Programme, happening on Thursday (31 October) evening. This is a collaboration between Crossing Border and its tech sister company, Border Session. With topics from classical nature writing to biotech experiments to environmental activism and speakers like William Leslie Amanzuru (founder of Friends of ZOKA) and Dr. Andrew Quitmeyer (who started his own Field Station Makerspace in Panama), this is not something you can miss. There will also be a spoken word performance by Smita James and an interview withDaisy Johnson (the youngest person in history ever shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize). As always, the European Literature Prize will also be presented at Crossing Border, on the 3rd of November. And so, so, so much more (can you tell I’m obsessed with the programme yet?).
Delve deep into the world of literature at the Crossing Border Festival this year. Image: Joost Weddepohl.
Hilary Mantel at Crossing Border 2019
If you want to know what makes me actually non-verbal with excitement, it’s finding out that my favourite author of all time will be at a festival in my city. This year, the Crossing Border festival will be graced by none other than Hilary Mantel. I could talk for hours about her Wolf Hall series on Tudor England (Bring Up The Bodies is my favourite book of all time). But to be clear, it’s not just me who is blown away by Mantel’s writing: The Guardian put her at number one on their list of the best writing of the 21st century. At Crossing Border, she’s going to be talking about her first book, A Place of Greater Safety, a masterpiece about the French Revolution.
László Krasznahorkai at Crossing Border 2019
As though one Booker Prize winner wasn’t enough, Crossing Border will also be hosting László Krasznahorkai, who was awarded a special Man Booker International Prize for his entire oeuvre in 2015. He is also always Hungary’s entry for the Nobel Prize for Literature each year. Translations of his work have become available over the last couple of years, with a translation of Baron Wenckheim’s Homecoming due to be released this fall.
Talks, interviews and generally mind-blowing thoughts can be expected. Image: Wouter Vellekoop
Find new music at Crossing Border 2019
When we say that the Crossing Border Festival has played host to some amazing artists, we really mean it. Lou Reed, Ed Sheeran and Mumford & Sons all played at the festival just before breaking through, so if you want to see some up and coming musicians this autumn, the Crossing Border Festival is the place to be. On 3rd November, there is an event called UNHEARD OF, curated by Rembrandt Frerichs, which presents Perpetual Motion (A Celebration of Moondog) and Iranian singer Mahsa Vahdat, among others.
This year’s most exciting music acts
One of the most exciting acts we can expect this year is Kevin Morby– which should remind us nicely of Lou Reed’s performances in earlier years at Crossing Border. In his latest album, Oh My God, Morby plays the piano and is accompanied by a gospel choir. The festival will also have a performance from Soap&Skin, accompanied by s t a r g a z e, an orchestral collective with influences from both modern pop and modern classical music. Soap&Skin is an Austrian artist who creates ethereal, dark music. I’m also personally very excited about SpaceAgePoetry, which provides eerie, spacey, but danceable beats in combination with the vocals/lyrics of Justin Samgar.
Get ready to see some up-and-coming artists at Crossing Border this year. Image: Parcifal Werkman.
The practical details for the Crossing Border festival
As for the nitty-gritty of the festival, here are the details. You can find the full programme here: the festival runs from 29 October to 3 November. Tickets can be bought for individual events, individual days, or you can get all-access tickets for both Friday (01/11) and Saturday (02/11). It takes place in three gorgeous locations in The Hague: the central library, Theater aan het Spui, Nieuwe Kerk, with some additional events taking place in the Katrina Festival Tent.
Have you been to the Crossing Border Festival before? How was it? And what events are you most excited to see this year? Let us know in the comments below!
