Health News in English

VUmc to cease to exist as a hospital; all care tasks eventually transferred to AMC

RIVM warns of smog in central and southern Netherlands

The RIVM has issued a warning for poor air quality due to smog in the central and southern regions of the Netherlands on Wednesday and Thursday. Affected areas include parts of Flevoland, Utrecht, and...

Heat in Haarlem

The city of Haarlem has introduced measures to help residents cope with high temperatures, such as providing free water refill stations and sunscreen dispensers. Official swimming locations like Molen...

Major impact from sexual abuse case at Zoetermeer school

Oskar van der V. stood trial on Tuesday for sexual misconduct and secretly filming children at a school in Zoetermeer. During the proceedings, parents of ten victims exercised their right to speak, de...

Psychological evaluation for man who planned to kill asylum seekers at Amsterdam center

Fire in garbage truck in Nieuw-Vennep, load dumped on street

A fire broke out in the cargo hold of a garbage truck on Tuesday morning in Nieuw-Vennep. The driver responded by dumping the burning waste onto the street at Bolwerksepoort to manage the situation an...

Various sporting events cancelled due to the heat

Several sporting events across the Netherlands have been cancelled due to an upcoming heatwave. Affected events include the four-day walking event in Sevenum and various running races such as the Roda...

Code red in 15 Italian cities due to high temperatures

The Italian Ministry of Health has issued a code red alert for fifteen cities, including Rome and Milan, due to extreme heat. Authorities are advising residents to remain indoors during the hottest pa...

Prosecutors seek mandatory psychiatric treatment for Purmerend man suspected of sexual assault and attempted aggravated assault at Parnassia

The Dutch justice department is seeking mandatory psychiatric treatment (TBS) for a 29-year-old man from Purmerend accused of assaulting a nurse and a patient at a clinic in Castricum. The incidents o...

Weeronline: possible super heatwave in the coming days

Weather service Weeronline predicts that several regions in the Netherlands may experience a "super heatwave" this week. This phenomenon occurs when temperatures reach at least 30 degrees Celsius for ...

After a ‘cool’ Tuesday, mercury rises to 37: Amsterdam heading for possible super heatwave

Number of drownings during heatwave in France rises

Approximately twenty people have drowned in France since the start of the weekend as the country faces an intense heatwave. Sports Minister Marina Ferrari has cautioned the public against swimming in ...

One in three schools adopt heat schedules, working parents at their wits' end: 'Is that allowed?'

One in three schools in the Netherlands is implementing a 'tropical schedule' as classroom temperatures soar toward 40 degrees Celsius. This shift to shorter school days is causing significant stress ...

Red alert in record number of French departments due to heat

France has issued a red weather alert for 54 departments starting Tuesday at noon due to record-breaking heat affecting approximately 38.8 million residents. Temperatures in the central and western pa...

Fewer Dutch people calling in sick, but duration of absence is increasing

Sickness absenteeism in the Netherlands dropped to 4.7% in May, though it remains at a higher level than in previous years. Data from occupational health services ArboNed and HumanCapitalCare indicate...

Go rest, let everything go. Do it, you can do it

The article highlights the importance of resting as a meaningful and beneficial use of time. It acknowledges the personal difficulty of letting go while encouraging others to prioritize relaxation for...

Florijn can only walk in water: parents fight for Hartekamp therapy pools

Parents Nicole and Ferry Verbrugge have launched a petition to prevent the Hartekamp Groep from closing its therapeutic swimming pools in Heemstede and Heemskerk. The petition, which has already garne...

Amsterdam introduces first cooling spots as heatwave approaches: ‘Staying cool shouldn't depend on your income’

Opinion: ‘There is still plenty of room for a drug consumption bus in Amsterdam-Zuid’

66-year-old man with Alzheimer's missing, possibly cycling toward Haarlem

A 66-year-old man with Alzheimer's has gone missing after being last seen in Amsterdam Nieuw-West on Monday evening. He was riding a distinctive white, green, and orange Postcode Loterij bicycle and i...

French Prime Minister calls crisis meeting on heatwave

French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu held a crisis meeting with ministers on Tuesday morning to discuss the impact of a severe heatwave affecting the country. A code red alert has been issued for ...

Code orange in central and southern regions from Wednesday due to extreme heat

The KNMI has issued a code orange warning for extreme heat in the central and southern regions of the Netherlands starting Wednesday at noon. Temperatures are expected to exceed 34 degrees Celsius dai...

Fire at Thai massage parlor in Zandvoort, two checked for smoke inhalation

A fire broke out in a Thai massage parlor on Louis Davidsstraat in Zandvoort on Monday afternoon. Emergency services, including the fire department and two ambulances, were dispatched to the scene, wh...

Former minister no longer remembers reason for late 2020 school closures

Former Dutch Education Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven told a parliamentary inquiry committee that she no longer recalls the specific reasons for closing schools in December 2020. During her testimony...

Protein powder popularity leads to stock market euphoria

The surging popularity of protein powder has triggered euphoria on the stock market, leading to large-scale acquisitions and multi-million euro investments. Since 2023, the price of whey protein isola...

The elderly lack thirst signals even though hydration is crucial: here’s why

Elderly individuals are more vulnerable to heat because their bodies regulate temperature less effectively and they often lack a natural thirst stimulus. A clinical geriatrician explains that maintain...

Former minister: rapid tests were not an option to reopen schools

Former Dutch Education Minister Ingrid van Engelshoven testified to a parliamentary inquiry that large-scale rapid testing was too complex to enable the early reopening of vocational and higher educat...

Hypothermic, exhausted, and saddle sore during 1,365km bike ride from Ventoux, but hardships turn into a good story at the finish in Valkenburg

About 200 cyclists completed the tenth edition of "The Ride," a 1,365-kilometer journey from Mont Ventoux in France to Valkenburg in the Netherlands. Over eight days, participants endured physical har...

Uncertainty over sports events due to persistent heat

Sporting event organizers in the Netherlands are adjusting schedules due to a persistent heatwave. The Singelloop in Woerden has canceled children's races for safety reasons, while the 5km and 10km ev...

All Radboud staff out of hantavirus quarantine, none sick

Twelve employees at Radboudumc in Nijmegen have completed their quarantine period without showing any signs of illness following exposure to the hantavirus. They had been monitoring for symptoms after...