University Hides Academic Fraud

The ASAP student party at the Radboud University in Nijmegen wants the university to publish the report on the investigation of the integrity of Professor Roos Vonk. Last week, Vonk was publicly censured without the report being published. She had said that people who eat meat are nastier than vegetarians. Her statement was based on data of Professor Diederik Stapel of the University of Tilburg, who has in the meantime been fired as these and many other data were invented. Earlier this month it became known that last year, a doctoral student had been seriously warned after he had manipulated data. This information was not published at the time. His contract was not extended and his data could not be used. It has also become known this month that a senior researcher has resigned at the medical center of the university because the collection of his data was unverifiable.

www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4556/Onderwijs/article/detail/3055821/2011/11/29/Nijmeegse-studenten-Maak-onderzoek-naar-Roos-Vonk-openbaar.dhtml

www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4556/Onderwijs/article/detail/3026160/2011/11/10/Nog-een-geval-van-fraude-in-Nijmegen.dhtml

Dutch Economy has Come to a Halt

The Dutch Statistics Office has released figures which show that the Dutch economy shrank by .03% in the third quarter compared to the second quarter. For November, a .04% shrinkage is expected, yet, it may be followed by an incidental 0% growth in December, mainly as a result of the holiday season.
www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/dutch-economy-has-come-a-halt

Many Dutch Hospitals are Plagued by Vermin

RTL News has asked all Dutch hospitals about their experiences with vermin. Only 20 were willing to reply. All these hospitals more or less suffer from vermin. This concerns mice and rats in the cellars, cockroaches in the kitchens and flies in the operating rooms. During the past three years, flies were found seven times in the operating theaters of various hospitals. The Director of the Knowledge Center of Plagues Caused by Animals, Nico Vonk said to RTL News that hospitals have to do more in order to keep vermin out. He added, “Policy is still that one only acts when there are already existing problems.”
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/11/26/veel-ziekenhuizen-hebben-last-van-ongedierte/

Former Euro Commissioner Calls Split of Euro Unavoidable

Frits Bolkestein, a former Commissioner of the European Union at the time it was decided upon, said that a split in the Euro is unavoidable. Germany and a number of other countries will have to create a separate unit. He added that Greece should be removed from the Euro zone and if Italy were to be removed, he wouldn’t “shed a tear.” He admitted that he and other politicians had not understood the mistakes in the construction of the Euro as a currency even though he had always been skeptical about it. He also came out against Euro obligations. Bolkestein said he had calculated that the Netherlands would have to pay 7 billion Euro extra interest if they were introduced. He added, “We already have problems to cut back our budget by 18 billion Euro.”www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/11/26/bolkestein-noemt-opsplitsing-eurozone-onvermijdelijk/

Erasmus University Dismisses Professor After Research Fraud

The Medical Center of the Erasmus University in Rotterdam has dismissed Medical Professor Don Poldermans. According to the university, the Professor has invented research data and damaged the confidence of patients. According to the university, Poldermans has presented results which cannot be concluded from the patient information. He has been working at the hospital for decades. Poldermans said that he did not follow the guidelines, but did not falsify data. (Recently Diederik Stapel, a Professor of Social Psychology at Tilburg University admitted to years-long fraud.)

www.elsevier.nl/web/Nieuws/Wetenschap/322628/Erasmus-Universiteit-ontslaat-hoogleraar-na-fraude.htm?print=true

Many Unprofessional Driving Instructors

As it is so easy to pass driving instructor exams, many unprofessional instructors are working at present. Labor Party Parliamentarian Sharon Dijksma said that almost anyone can become a driving instructor in the Netherlands. Driving instructors already pass the exam when they answer 42 out of 60 questions correctly. The Parliament wants Minister Schultz van Haegen of Infrastructure to take action.
www.powned.tv/nieuws/binnenland/2011/11/veel_beunhazen_bij_rijscholen.html

Many Municipalities Poorly Supervise Public Swimming Pools

According to RTL News, more than half of Dutch municipalities do not carry out periodic inspections of public swimming pools. At the swimming pool in De Reeshof in Tilburg early this month, a baby was killed when two rusty loud speakers fell on him. According to Jaap van Duijn a specialist who inspects swimming pools, the main danger is in the use of certain types of steel in swimming pools. The chlorine vapors in swimming pools in combination with the urine found in the water attack the fasteners of elements in the ceiling.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10962220/___Toezicht_zwembaden_rammelt___.html

Sex Addiction Greatly Increases in Netherlands

The number of people addicted to sex in the Netherlands has greatly increased. At present, it is the third most significant addiction in the Netherlands after alcohol and nicotine addictions. There is a hard core of 300,000 people who suffer from sex addiction – for these people, sex is an obsession and they cannot go one day without viewing pornographic images. Dick Trubendorffer of the Amsterdam addiction clinic GGZ, says that with such a high number of addicted, sex addiction becomes an epidemic. He remarked that if this continues, a society will develop in which people do not have the ability to establish stable relationships.
www.parool.nl/parool/nl/224/BINNENLAND/article/detail/3043820/2011/11/21/Steeds-meer-seksverslaafden-in-Nederland.dhtml

Hospital Apologizes to Families of Five Patients Who Died

The board and supervisory council of the Scheper Hospital in Emmen have apologized to the families of five patients who did not survive stomach operations. According to the conclusions of the Investigation Council for Safety, not only the surgeon was responsible for the lack of safety of the patients during the operations, but also the hospital was negligent. The surgeon was dismissed in 2009. The prosecution is checking whether he can be prosecuted for criminal negligence.
www.nos.nl/artikel/314359-ziekenhuis-emmen-biedt-excuses-aan.html

Dutch Have Little Confidence in the Future

Many Dutchmen have expressed little confidence in the future of their children. The majority of the population thinks that after years of increasing affluence, there will be a decline from now on. Such an opinion hasn’t been dominant since the Second World War. Salem Samhoud, of the consultancy company which ordered the research among 1,240 Dutchmen concludes, “We apparently can not offer our children what we ourselves have had.”
www.spitsnieuws.nl/archives/binnenland/2011/11/weinig-vertrouwen-in-toekomst-kindertjes

Curacao Government: Dutch Racist Policemen Humiliated Demonstrators

The Curacao Plenipotenary Minister in The Hague, Sheidry Osepa considers the behavior of the police in Dordrecht as humiliating, unacceptable and racist. During the official arrival of Sinterklaas, a Dutch folkloristic figure, 4 demonstrators were arrested. They protested against the presence of Black Peter, the traditional assistant of Sinterklaas. The police said that the demonstrators had been told five times to end their illegal demonstration.
www.trouw.nl/tr/nl/4492/Nederland/article/detail/3033622/2011/11/15/Curacao-ziedend-Racistische-agent-vernederde-betogers-tegen-Zwarte-Piet.dhtml

Arnhem: Virus Found Again in Hospital

The geriatric department of the Rijnstate Hospital in Arnhem has been infected for the second time this year by the Norovirus which causes severe stomach spasms. The department has been closed. It has now become known that in the nursing home St. Anna in the city of Heel, the Norovirus has also spread.

www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2672/Wetenschap-Gezondheid/article/detail/3031041/2011/11/13/Opnieuw-norovirus-in-ziekenhuis-Rijnstate.dhtml

Did Dutch Commander in Srebrenica Know That There Would Be Mass Killings?

The Dutch Surgeon Ger Kremer claimed that Thom Karremans, was aware that thousands of Muslim men would be killed after the fall of the Srebrenica
enclave in Bosnia in 1995. Kremer who was with the Dutchbat, the U.N. peacekeeping force in Srebrenica, made this claim on Dutch public television last week. He accused Karremans of lying under oath to the Yugoslav Tribunal and the Dutch Parliamentary inquiry. Military historian, Christ Klep said Karremans version of the story is inaccurate. He said that many of the former Dutchbat soldiers he has interviewed say they new about the impending genocide and their commander must have known as well. Karremans continues to deny that he knew what would happen.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/bulletin/%E2%80%98karremans-knew-about-srebrenica-executions

Twenty-Five Dead Due to Mistakes in Care for Thrombosis

Since October 2010, at least 25 people died due to mistakes in the care for Thrombosis. These results come from a list established by the Inspectorate for Health Care (IGZ). According to the organization, the number of dead is probably higher because not all incidents were registered. The problems occurred in many places – hospitals, nursing homes, psychiatric institutions and with home patients who are controlled by a Thrombosis service. The Inspectorate wants to approve the medical care for the patients which did not happen last year.

www.depers.nl/binnenland/609740/Doden-door-fouten-bij-trombosezorg.html

Big Increase in Complaints about Lawyers

In 2010 in Amsterdam, 474 people complained about the behavior of their lawyers compared to 398 in 2009. This finding was published by the Council of Supervision of the Order of Lawyers. In 40% of the cases, the complaint was found to be justified. Most complaints were about the quality of service, financial costs and poor communication.

www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1041/Amsterdam/article/detail/3021189/2011/11/07/Meer-klachten-over-Amsterdamse-advocaten.dhtml

Money Spent on Problematic non-Western Youngsters is Wasted

Thirty-four cities in the Netherlands where many Moroccan and Antillean youths live have been receiving funds from the government to reduce the problems with these youths. According to the National Broadcasting Foundation (NOS), this money has been wasted. The number of school leaders and unemployed has only increased further since the subsidies were introduced in 2009. The subsidies will be paid until the end of 2012.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10796885/__Aanpak_risicojongeren_mislukt__.html

Fifty Youth Gangs in The Hague

Fifty youth gangs are active in The Hague, according to police findings. The members’ age range is from 12 until the late 20’s. The ethnic composition is diverse, but the number of Moroccans is disproportionately high. Nine gangs are criminal. Twenty-seven cause harassment such as destruction and vandalism. Fourteen consist of youngsters who hang around and annoy neighborhood residents. The police say that such groups in the course of time may upgrade to more severe categories of criminal behavior.
www.nu.nl/binnenland/2660043/vijftig-jeugdbendes-in-haag.html

Shortage of Personnel in Police Situation Rooms

The Police Trade Union (ACP) is very worried about the shortage of personnel in police situation rooms. The problem is particularly serious on weekends and in the evenings. The Chairman of the ACP, Gerrit van de Kamp said that in view of the planned merger of situation rooms, it is very difficult to find new personnel. He has asked the Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten (Liberals) to take action.
www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2011/10/29/politievakbond-luidt-noodklok-over-onderbezetting-meldkamers/

Three Deaths in Rotterdam Hospital Due to Bacteria

The Inspectorate for Health Care (IGZ) has concluded in an investigative report that the Rotterdam Maasstad Hospital has not adequately reacted to the outbreak of the Klebsiella bacteria. The management of the hospital has misjudged the size, severity and length of the outbreak. Most probably, three patients died due to this bacteria and possibly another ten also. In total, 107 people were infected and 4,000 people were in contact with infected patients. The bacteria was first found in October 2010, only at the end of May 2011 were measures taken.
www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/10840063/___Maasstad_heeft_gefaald___.html

Brunssum: Hospital Operation Room Closed Due to Flies

In an operating room of the Atrium Medical Center in Brunssum, no surgery can be carried out for three days because of flies in the room. Thus a sterile environment could no longer be guaranteed by the hospital. Last month a similar problem occurred in the operation rooms of the Rijnstate Hospital in Zevenaar which led to closure of these rooms.

http://nos.nl/artikel/309369-vliegjes-in-operatiekamers-brunssum.html

Nijmegen: Hospital Department Closed Due to Bacteria

The intensive and medium care departments of the Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital in Nijmegen have been closed due to the VRE bacteria. Five patients are being treated in isolation there.

www.nu.nl/binnenland/2655843/ic-ziekenhuis-nijmegen-dicht-darmbacterie.html

Chair of Curacao Parliament: The Netherlands is becoming Racist

Ivar Asjes, Chairman of the Curacao Parliament has said that if the Netherlands expels the Angolan youngster Mauro Manuel, Curacao should grant asylum to him and his foster parents. He added that the Dutch debate on whether to expel this youngster who has lived for more than 8 years in the Netherlands, indicates that it is becoming a racist country.
www.ad.nl/ad/nl/1013/Buitenland/article/detail/3005824/2011/10/31/Voorzitter-parlement-Curacao-Wij-moeten-Mauro-opnemen.dhtml