Headlines August
Less chicken available at Dirk and DekaMarkt due to fire at supplier
Dirk and DekaMarkt will have less chicken for a while due to a fire at supplier GroenlandKip last month. The parent company of the supermarket chains cannot say on Tuesday how long the shortage will last. "There are deliveries again, but they are not yet at the old level," said a spokesperson.
The packaging and distribution location of GroenlandKip in Bodegraven was hit by a fire on 11 July. Two of the production halls were completely reduced to ashes and a third hall also turned out to be unusable.
This immediately led to a problem in deliveries to supermarkets. In the Netherlands, Dirk and DekaMarkt are the only supermarket customers of GroenlandKip, but the company also supplies Belgium, Denmark and Ireland, among others. It is not clear whether supermarkets were also affected there. Two days after the fire, the supplier moved into new premises in Barendrecht, but production is not yet at the old level. GroenlandKip declined to comment further. However, it can be concluded from the smaller supply that the crisis has not yet been averted.
Detailresult, the parent group of Dirk and DekaMarkt, is now in consultation with GroenlandKip about fully resuming deliveries, but cannot give an exact date when they will be back to the old level. "Although a number of colleagues did say that there are few or no empty shelves in at least three stores," said the spokesperson for Detailresult.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/economie/6149603/lege-kippenschappen-bij-dirk-en-dekamarkt-door-brand-bij-leverancier.html
Philips has a lot of lawsuits over dangerous sleeping devices
Philips has a lot of lawsuits brought by angry customers. The medical electronics company has launched a recall of sleep apnea and ventilators that may be carcinogenic. Especially in the United States and Canada, customers are furious. Philips expects the damage to amount to half a billion euros. Encouraged by specialized agencies, dozens of aggrieved customers have already filed a case against Philips. They do this through a so-called class action or joint compensation that they demand from Philips. Philips warned on June 14 that the sleeping and ventilators could be dangerous. In April at the presentation of the quarterly figures, the company also announced that there are problems with the first generation Dreamstation' devices. At the time, the company already set aside 250 million euros for this. At the end of July, Philips reserved another 250 million euros for it.
crumbled foam
The foam in the devices can crumble and patients can then ingest it. This can cause headaches or respiratory irritation, among other things. And it could possibly be carcinogenic.Philips says in a message to users that the foam can degrade under certain circumstances. This would occur if the product is cleaned with unapproved cleaning methods, such as ozone and at high humidity and temperature.
Ventilation
80 percent of recalled devices are used by people with sleep problems. The other 20 percent is respiratory equipment for hospitals. Philips has recently been selling a lot of these because they are needed for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.Philips asks doctors to make a risk assessment before using the devices that can save lives.
About 60,000 devices in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands there are about 60,000 apnea patients who have one of these devices, says Jerryll Asin. He is a pulmonologist at Amphia Hospital and secretary of the Sleep Respiratory Disorders Section of NVALT (Dutch Association of Physicians for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis). According to Asin, there is no need to panic. He has not yet heard from patients who have demonstrably had health problems from using the device and questions the test that showed there would be risks, while stopping could be dangerous for this group. Pulmonologists and the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate have requested an investigation into the devices from RIVM, the results of which are expected in September or October. "Should something very shocking happen, we would tell people to stop using the devices. But I think the chance is small."
Dreamstation, Dormac
Philips says it has sold millions of the offending devices. Customers in the US are asked to return them for Philips to replace the foam.It concerns 18 different devices with names such as Dreamstation, Dorma and Trology.
Shareholders
Investors have stopped trusting things ever since. Philips lost a quarter of its market value in the past four months.Also shareholders Philips start a case against the top of the company. The New York law firm organizing this class action says Philips misinformed investors.
Source: https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/economie/bedrijven/artikel/5248510/philips-classaction-slaapapneu-kanker-schuim
Major hack at ROC Mondriaan: systems down and files cannot be opened
ROC Mondriaan has been hacked. Employees and students no longer have access to files and applications of the study programme. The consequences are still unclear: 'We would prefer to tell you more now, but the investigation must first provide clarification in the coming hours and days. We are doing everything we can so that education can start from next week', says board member Harry de Bruijn. The hack was discovered on Monday when employees were unable to log in at the various locations of ROC Mondriaan. The training has reported the digital intrusion. The Dutch Data Protection Authority has also been informed. Specialists are currently investigating what exactly happened, what damage the hackers have caused and how the systems can be made accessible again 'quickly and responsibly'. The hack is said to have been carried out this weekend. According to a source who wishes to remain anonymous, employees who want to make preparations for the new academic year are 'unemployed at the fourteen locations' because nobody can access the systems. Students can no longer log in to the study programme. They will be kept informed via the school's website, ROC Mondriaan said.
Possibly adjusted lessons at the start of the school year
Because much is still unclear about the damage caused by the digital break-in, it is not yet clear, according to the spokesperson, whether all systems will work again when education starts again next week. "We have asked our employees to prepare for education with fewer digital resources than they are used to," said the spokeswoman.
ROC Mondriaan is a major trainer for secondary vocational education in the Haaglanden region. Mondriaan offers approximately 240 MBO courses at 27 schools in The Hague, Delft, Leiden and Naaldwijk. About 20,000 MBO students study, about 5,000 course participants and about 2,100 employees work in the programmes.
Source: https://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/4444098/grote-hack-bij-roc-mondriaan-systemen-plat-en-bestanden-niet-te-openen
More ethylene oxide recalls. What is the risk?
Foods are once again being recalled because of the banned substance ethylene oxide found in them. After sesame seeds and ginger , it now concerns food supplements, tomato sauce with the thickener locust bean gum and vermicelli.
It is the umpteenth recall since September last year. "The recall has a major impact and compared to previous recalls, this is the largest I've seen in thirteen years," said Wouter Bruin, director of De Online Drogist. Last year, about 268 batches of sesame seeds were withdrawn from the market because of the same substance, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said. These included sesame paste, cookies and sesame bread. Together about 5,238,000 kilos. It is no coincidence that the substance is now resurfacing. Ethylene oxide may have been in our food for years, experts say. But now products that contain it have to be returned. Because although there is no acute health risk according to the NVWA, it is bad for people to ingest ethylene oxide for a long time, regularly and in high concentrations.
Why are products containing ethylene oxide now being recalled?
Ethylene oxide is a pesticide that kills bacteria, fungi and viruses. The first official safety warning in the Netherlands for food contaminated with ethylene oxide comes from September 2020 , from sesame seeds. Since ethylene oxide is not banned in India , the sesame seeds were decontaminated there with ethylene oxide and allowed to enter Europe. "The source of contamination is outside Europe. At global level, efforts are being made to do something about it, but that does not always work," says Cees de Heer, food safety expert at the NVWA.
Before the recall of sesame seeds, little was tested for ethylene oxide. "The government and companies are doing a risk assessment and apparently ethylene oxide was not covered at first. It started with sesame seeds, so from that moment on we know for sure that ethylene oxide can be in products," says Bas van Driel, business development manager food. at GBA Group, a laboratory for the food industry. Following pressure from food watchdog Foodwatch for a general European policy, the European Commission decided this summer that all foods with a higher ethylene oxide content than 0.1 mg/kg must be withdrawn from the market and also returned to the consumer. As a result, companies were obliged to comply with this, because food safety is their responsibility.
How dangerous is the substance?
Food experts say there is no acute health risk from ingesting ethylene oxide. "It is only a substance that you should not ingest for a long time, because then we do not really know what is happening. Animal testing shows harmful effects in the stomach. And tumors can arise in large quantities," says Wieke van der Vossen, food safety expert and works at the Nutrition Center. Earlier , the World Health Organization wrote that ethylene oxide should be considered a probable human carcinogen. And because of an increased risk of cancer, legislation is necessary, but drawing up a safety standard
is seen as difficult. "You can't actually set a good standard for a substance that is potentially carcinogenic, but does not pose an acute risk," says Van der Vossen.Foods are recalled if trace amounts or a derivative (by-product) of ethylene oxide is found. "In principle, end products are safe if no ethylene oxide has been detected, although it has been detected in one of the raw materials," says Van Driel.
Food waste?
Toxicologists indicate that recalls based on public health risks are often unnecessary. "If there are no public health concerns, you should ask yourself whether the recalls are in line with the proportionality principle," says Ivonne Rietjens, professor of Toxicology at Wageningen University & Research. "Because now products are only withdrawn from the market on the basis of legislation, while the risk to public health only becomes a problem
if people ingest large quantities." Among other things, Rietjens makes risk analyzes of the amount of ethylene oxide in food. In that analysis, the health risk is looked at. It has also done the same for ice cream, which may have contained contaminated locust bean gum, a thickening agent found in many foods. Her risk analysis showed that even if people were to eat such ice cream every day, there is no reason to initiate a recall on the basis of the risk
to public health. However, recall actions have been carried out on a large scale , says Rietjens. "That is then decided in the process that we call risk management. In that process you can consider several arguments, such as political and legal arguments. But that does not mean that a recall indicates that there is a danger to public health." Frank Lindner of food watchdog Foodwatch also understands that food waste is lurking,
but he believes strict legislation is still necessary. "It's worrying that the ethylene oxide threshold is sometimes exceeded a thousand times. So we set a limit, just like driving a car: you can't go faster than 100 kilometers per hour for safety."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2395326-opnieuw-terugroepacties-vanwege-ethyleenoxide-wat-is-het-risico
Eye hospital is struggling with a shortage of important drug Visudyne: 'It is an extremely worrying situation'
Hospitals worldwide are facing a major shortage of the eye medicine Visudyne due to problems at the American manufacturer. This drug is used to treat people with a rare vision disorder. The Eye Hospital in Rotterdam is also out of stock and is concerned. "There is no alternative." The shortage creates a lot of uncertainty for both patients and practitioners. Visudyne is used in the treatment of Serosa, where fluid builds up under the retina,
especially in the macula (yellow spot). If patients do not receive the drug, their vision may deteriorate further or even disappear completely. "We find this an extremely worrying situation," said a hospital spokesperson.
The little bit of Visudyne that remains in Dutch hospitals is now distributed via a national committee. That committee is part of the Dutch Ophthalmological Society (NOG). A doctor from the Eye Hospital is also on the committee. Before patients can apply, they must first check with their doctor whether they are eligible for the drug. The committee determines for each application whether a patient meets a series of strict criteria. If so, the patient is assigned the drug. "It depends on the prioritization of the complaints," says the spokesperson. There are no alternatives to Visudyne, and there is only one producer. As a result, the whole world is now anxiously awaiting the drug, which will most likely not be available again until February 2022. "We also have no more stock," says the spokesperson.
Damage cannot always be repaired
Although more than 100,000 people in the Netherlands have retinal disorders, Visudyne is only intended for people with Seros. On an annual basis, there are approximately 700 patients in the Netherlands who receive Visudyne. It is not known how many patients with Serosa are in the Eye Hospital. Also, the patients of the Eye Hospital do not by definition have an advantage in the distribution of the medicine.
"Our patients are the same as the patients in the other hospitals. It depends on the clinical picture whether someone is given Visudyne." Patients who are unable to obtain the drug currently have no choice but to wait for a new supply, and that causes the necessary problems, especially as the problems with their eyes continue to develop. "The damage can sometimes be repaired, but that is not always the case," says the spokesperson for the Eye Hospital.
"That is of course what we as an Eye Hospital are concerned about, but we have no influence on production problems at that manufacturer."
Source: https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/1295947/Oogziekenhuis-kampt-met-tekort-aan-belangrijk-medicijn-Visudyne-Het-is-een-uitermate-zorgwekkende-situatie
Municipality of Enschede intervenes and stops RVN work on Binnenhaven
The municipality of Enschede has immediately stopped work at the possible new business location of Rubber Verwerker Nederland (RVN) at the Binnenhaven. A month ago, a construction freeze was imposed on the company, due to construction work for which no environmental permit had been granted. Today's decision concerns the supply and storage of unlicensed tires. “Since the end of July, there has been a consultation procedure on the draft decision for the environmental permit for this company,” said Deputy Mayor Niels van den Berg. “The deadline for this is until the beginning of September. After that, a final decision must be made. In addition, structural adjustments must still be made on the site in order to meet the requirements of the environment and fire safety. Until then, it is not allowed to store or process tires on site.” RVN is currently located in Almen in Gelderland on a site
along the Twente Canal, where a large stock of old tires is stored. The company was supposed to have left there by August 1, but that was not achieved. The municipality of Lochem has imposed a penalty of up to 200,000 euros. The company has promised to be gone by mid-September.
'Difficult situation'
The municipality of Enschede wants to prevent acts in violation of the applicable rules by means of a penalty order. Deputy Mayor Van den Berg about this: “We understand that RVN has ended up in a difficult situation, but procedures are there for a reason. It cannot be the case that the environment and the safety of the surrounding area are at stake.” Owner Johan Doornberg of the tire processing company could not be reached for comment.
Source: https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/1994878/Gemeente-Enschede-grijpt-in-en-legt-werkzaamheden-RVN-aan-Binnenhaven-stil
Data retired KLM employees leaked due to major data breach at pension provider
Due to a major data breach at pension provider Blue Sky Group, data of retired KLM employees is leaked. According to the pension provider, criminals have almost certainly obtained the names, policy numbers, bank account numbers and pension amounts of approximately 31,000 participants. It concerns data from people who have retired, says Orpa Bisschop, one of the directors of the Blue Sky Group. It is likely that no data has
been leaked from employees who are still building up pension. "A study is still ongoing, but based on these initial results, we don't expect the size to increase."
Mailbox access
The data breach was probably caused at the end of July by a phishing email to an employee of Blue Sky Group. As a result, malicious parties have gained access to a mailbox of the pension provider. The leak was soon spotted. "Whoever clicked on it actually noticed it immediately. But the scope was not immediately clear. A crisis team was set up last week and then it became clear that it was really wrong." Besides KLM, Blue Sky Group also handles pension administration for Staples, Loodsen, SNS Reaal and recently also for Philips Pensioenfonds. The vast majority of those affected are former KLM staff.
Awareness Sessions
The pension provider has taken measures to prevent a recurrence. "Technical measures, aimed at procedures and behaviour," says Bisschop. For example, extra verification of payments has been set up and awareness sessions have been held with staff to make them even more aware of the danger of phishing emails. Furthermore, Blue Sky Group has reported the leak to the Dutch Data Protection Authority and will report it to the police.
In the near future, Blue Sky Group also asks participants to be extra alert to e-mails, telephone calls or apps where, for example, they are requested to provide login codes.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2393398-gegevens-gepensioneerde-klm-ers-op-straat-door-groot-datalek-bij-pensioenuitvoerder
Dirk and DekaMarkt will have less chicken for a while due to a fire at supplier GroenlandKip last month. The parent company of the supermarket chains cannot say on Tuesday how long the shortage will last. "There are deliveries again, but they are not yet at the old level," said a spokesperson.
The packaging and distribution location of GroenlandKip in Bodegraven was hit by a fire on 11 July. Two of the production halls were completely reduced to ashes and a third hall also turned out to be unusable.
This immediately led to a problem in deliveries to supermarkets. In the Netherlands, Dirk and DekaMarkt are the only supermarket customers of GroenlandKip, but the company also supplies Belgium, Denmark and Ireland, among others. It is not clear whether supermarkets were also affected there. Two days after the fire, the supplier moved into new premises in Barendrecht, but production is not yet at the old level. GroenlandKip declined to comment further. However, it can be concluded from the smaller supply that the crisis has not yet been averted.
Detailresult, the parent group of Dirk and DekaMarkt, is now in consultation with GroenlandKip about fully resuming deliveries, but cannot give an exact date when they will be back to the old level. "Although a number of colleagues did say that there are few or no empty shelves in at least three stores," said the spokesperson for Detailresult.
Source: https://www.nu.nl/economie/6149603/lege-kippenschappen-bij-dirk-en-dekamarkt-door-brand-bij-leverancier.html
Philips has a lot of lawsuits over dangerous sleeping devices
Philips has a lot of lawsuits brought by angry customers. The medical electronics company has launched a recall of sleep apnea and ventilators that may be carcinogenic. Especially in the United States and Canada, customers are furious. Philips expects the damage to amount to half a billion euros. Encouraged by specialized agencies, dozens of aggrieved customers have already filed a case against Philips. They do this through a so-called class action or joint compensation that they demand from Philips. Philips warned on June 14 that the sleeping and ventilators could be dangerous. In April at the presentation of the quarterly figures, the company also announced that there are problems with the first generation Dreamstation' devices. At the time, the company already set aside 250 million euros for this. At the end of July, Philips reserved another 250 million euros for it.
crumbled foam
The foam in the devices can crumble and patients can then ingest it. This can cause headaches or respiratory irritation, among other things. And it could possibly be carcinogenic.Philips says in a message to users that the foam can degrade under certain circumstances. This would occur if the product is cleaned with unapproved cleaning methods, such as ozone and at high humidity and temperature.
Ventilation
80 percent of recalled devices are used by people with sleep problems. The other 20 percent is respiratory equipment for hospitals. Philips has recently been selling a lot of these because they are needed for the treatment of Covid-19 patients.Philips asks doctors to make a risk assessment before using the devices that can save lives.
About 60,000 devices in the Netherlands
In the Netherlands there are about 60,000 apnea patients who have one of these devices, says Jerryll Asin. He is a pulmonologist at Amphia Hospital and secretary of the Sleep Respiratory Disorders Section of NVALT (Dutch Association of Physicians for Pulmonary Diseases and Tuberculosis). According to Asin, there is no need to panic. He has not yet heard from patients who have demonstrably had health problems from using the device and questions the test that showed there would be risks, while stopping could be dangerous for this group. Pulmonologists and the Health and Youth Care Inspectorate have requested an investigation into the devices from RIVM, the results of which are expected in September or October. "Should something very shocking happen, we would tell people to stop using the devices. But I think the chance is small."
Dreamstation, Dormac
Philips says it has sold millions of the offending devices. Customers in the US are asked to return them for Philips to replace the foam.It concerns 18 different devices with names such as Dreamstation, Dorma and Trology.
Shareholders
Investors have stopped trusting things ever since. Philips lost a quarter of its market value in the past four months.Also shareholders Philips start a case against the top of the company. The New York law firm organizing this class action says Philips misinformed investors.
Source: https://www.rtlnieuws.nl/economie/bedrijven/artikel/5248510/philips-classaction-slaapapneu-kanker-schuim
Major hack at ROC Mondriaan: systems down and files cannot be opened
ROC Mondriaan has been hacked. Employees and students no longer have access to files and applications of the study programme. The consequences are still unclear: 'We would prefer to tell you more now, but the investigation must first provide clarification in the coming hours and days. We are doing everything we can so that education can start from next week', says board member Harry de Bruijn. The hack was discovered on Monday when employees were unable to log in at the various locations of ROC Mondriaan. The training has reported the digital intrusion. The Dutch Data Protection Authority has also been informed. Specialists are currently investigating what exactly happened, what damage the hackers have caused and how the systems can be made accessible again 'quickly and responsibly'. The hack is said to have been carried out this weekend. According to a source who wishes to remain anonymous, employees who want to make preparations for the new academic year are 'unemployed at the fourteen locations' because nobody can access the systems. Students can no longer log in to the study programme. They will be kept informed via the school's website, ROC Mondriaan said.
Possibly adjusted lessons at the start of the school year
Because much is still unclear about the damage caused by the digital break-in, it is not yet clear, according to the spokesperson, whether all systems will work again when education starts again next week. "We have asked our employees to prepare for education with fewer digital resources than they are used to," said the spokeswoman.
ROC Mondriaan is a major trainer for secondary vocational education in the Haaglanden region. Mondriaan offers approximately 240 MBO courses at 27 schools in The Hague, Delft, Leiden and Naaldwijk. About 20,000 MBO students study, about 5,000 course participants and about 2,100 employees work in the programmes.
Source: https://www.omroepwest.nl/nieuws/4444098/grote-hack-bij-roc-mondriaan-systemen-plat-en-bestanden-niet-te-openen
More ethylene oxide recalls. What is the risk?
Foods are once again being recalled because of the banned substance ethylene oxide found in them. After sesame seeds and ginger , it now concerns food supplements, tomato sauce with the thickener locust bean gum and vermicelli.
It is the umpteenth recall since September last year. "The recall has a major impact and compared to previous recalls, this is the largest I've seen in thirteen years," said Wouter Bruin, director of De Online Drogist. Last year, about 268 batches of sesame seeds were withdrawn from the market because of the same substance, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said. These included sesame paste, cookies and sesame bread. Together about 5,238,000 kilos. It is no coincidence that the substance is now resurfacing. Ethylene oxide may have been in our food for years, experts say. But now products that contain it have to be returned. Because although there is no acute health risk according to the NVWA, it is bad for people to ingest ethylene oxide for a long time, regularly and in high concentrations.
Why are products containing ethylene oxide now being recalled?
Ethylene oxide is a pesticide that kills bacteria, fungi and viruses. The first official safety warning in the Netherlands for food contaminated with ethylene oxide comes from September 2020 , from sesame seeds. Since ethylene oxide is not banned in India , the sesame seeds were decontaminated there with ethylene oxide and allowed to enter Europe. "The source of contamination is outside Europe. At global level, efforts are being made to do something about it, but that does not always work," says Cees de Heer, food safety expert at the NVWA.
Before the recall of sesame seeds, little was tested for ethylene oxide. "The government and companies are doing a risk assessment and apparently ethylene oxide was not covered at first. It started with sesame seeds, so from that moment on we know for sure that ethylene oxide can be in products," says Bas van Driel, business development manager food. at GBA Group, a laboratory for the food industry. Following pressure from food watchdog Foodwatch for a general European policy, the European Commission decided this summer that all foods with a higher ethylene oxide content than 0.1 mg/kg must be withdrawn from the market and also returned to the consumer. As a result, companies were obliged to comply with this, because food safety is their responsibility.
How dangerous is the substance?
Food experts say there is no acute health risk from ingesting ethylene oxide. "It is only a substance that you should not ingest for a long time, because then we do not really know what is happening. Animal testing shows harmful effects in the stomach. And tumors can arise in large quantities," says Wieke van der Vossen, food safety expert and works at the Nutrition Center. Earlier , the World Health Organization wrote that ethylene oxide should be considered a probable human carcinogen. And because of an increased risk of cancer, legislation is necessary, but drawing up a safety standard
is seen as difficult. "You can't actually set a good standard for a substance that is potentially carcinogenic, but does not pose an acute risk," says Van der Vossen.Foods are recalled if trace amounts or a derivative (by-product) of ethylene oxide is found. "In principle, end products are safe if no ethylene oxide has been detected, although it has been detected in one of the raw materials," says Van Driel.
Food waste?
Toxicologists indicate that recalls based on public health risks are often unnecessary. "If there are no public health concerns, you should ask yourself whether the recalls are in line with the proportionality principle," says Ivonne Rietjens, professor of Toxicology at Wageningen University & Research. "Because now products are only withdrawn from the market on the basis of legislation, while the risk to public health only becomes a problem
if people ingest large quantities." Among other things, Rietjens makes risk analyzes of the amount of ethylene oxide in food. In that analysis, the health risk is looked at. It has also done the same for ice cream, which may have contained contaminated locust bean gum, a thickening agent found in many foods. Her risk analysis showed that even if people were to eat such ice cream every day, there is no reason to initiate a recall on the basis of the risk
to public health. However, recall actions have been carried out on a large scale , says Rietjens. "That is then decided in the process that we call risk management. In that process you can consider several arguments, such as political and legal arguments. But that does not mean that a recall indicates that there is a danger to public health." Frank Lindner of food watchdog Foodwatch also understands that food waste is lurking,
but he believes strict legislation is still necessary. "It's worrying that the ethylene oxide threshold is sometimes exceeded a thousand times. So we set a limit, just like driving a car: you can't go faster than 100 kilometers per hour for safety."
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2395326-opnieuw-terugroepacties-vanwege-ethyleenoxide-wat-is-het-risico
Eye hospital is struggling with a shortage of important drug Visudyne: 'It is an extremely worrying situation'
Hospitals worldwide are facing a major shortage of the eye medicine Visudyne due to problems at the American manufacturer. This drug is used to treat people with a rare vision disorder. The Eye Hospital in Rotterdam is also out of stock and is concerned. "There is no alternative." The shortage creates a lot of uncertainty for both patients and practitioners. Visudyne is used in the treatment of Serosa, where fluid builds up under the retina,
especially in the macula (yellow spot). If patients do not receive the drug, their vision may deteriorate further or even disappear completely. "We find this an extremely worrying situation," said a hospital spokesperson.
The little bit of Visudyne that remains in Dutch hospitals is now distributed via a national committee. That committee is part of the Dutch Ophthalmological Society (NOG). A doctor from the Eye Hospital is also on the committee. Before patients can apply, they must first check with their doctor whether they are eligible for the drug. The committee determines for each application whether a patient meets a series of strict criteria. If so, the patient is assigned the drug. "It depends on the prioritization of the complaints," says the spokesperson. There are no alternatives to Visudyne, and there is only one producer. As a result, the whole world is now anxiously awaiting the drug, which will most likely not be available again until February 2022. "We also have no more stock," says the spokesperson.
Damage cannot always be repaired
Although more than 100,000 people in the Netherlands have retinal disorders, Visudyne is only intended for people with Seros. On an annual basis, there are approximately 700 patients in the Netherlands who receive Visudyne. It is not known how many patients with Serosa are in the Eye Hospital. Also, the patients of the Eye Hospital do not by definition have an advantage in the distribution of the medicine.
"Our patients are the same as the patients in the other hospitals. It depends on the clinical picture whether someone is given Visudyne." Patients who are unable to obtain the drug currently have no choice but to wait for a new supply, and that causes the necessary problems, especially as the problems with their eyes continue to develop. "The damage can sometimes be repaired, but that is not always the case," says the spokesperson for the Eye Hospital.
"That is of course what we as an Eye Hospital are concerned about, but we have no influence on production problems at that manufacturer."
Source: https://www.rijnmond.nl/nieuws/1295947/Oogziekenhuis-kampt-met-tekort-aan-belangrijk-medicijn-Visudyne-Het-is-een-uitermate-zorgwekkende-situatie
Municipality of Enschede intervenes and stops RVN work on Binnenhaven
The municipality of Enschede has immediately stopped work at the possible new business location of Rubber Verwerker Nederland (RVN) at the Binnenhaven. A month ago, a construction freeze was imposed on the company, due to construction work for which no environmental permit had been granted. Today's decision concerns the supply and storage of unlicensed tires. “Since the end of July, there has been a consultation procedure on the draft decision for the environmental permit for this company,” said Deputy Mayor Niels van den Berg. “The deadline for this is until the beginning of September. After that, a final decision must be made. In addition, structural adjustments must still be made on the site in order to meet the requirements of the environment and fire safety. Until then, it is not allowed to store or process tires on site.” RVN is currently located in Almen in Gelderland on a site
along the Twente Canal, where a large stock of old tires is stored. The company was supposed to have left there by August 1, but that was not achieved. The municipality of Lochem has imposed a penalty of up to 200,000 euros. The company has promised to be gone by mid-September.
'Difficult situation'
The municipality of Enschede wants to prevent acts in violation of the applicable rules by means of a penalty order. Deputy Mayor Van den Berg about this: “We understand that RVN has ended up in a difficult situation, but procedures are there for a reason. It cannot be the case that the environment and the safety of the surrounding area are at stake.” Owner Johan Doornberg of the tire processing company could not be reached for comment.
Source: https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/1994878/Gemeente-Enschede-grijpt-in-en-legt-werkzaamheden-RVN-aan-Binnenhaven-stil
Data retired KLM employees leaked due to major data breach at pension provider
Due to a major data breach at pension provider Blue Sky Group, data of retired KLM employees is leaked. According to the pension provider, criminals have almost certainly obtained the names, policy numbers, bank account numbers and pension amounts of approximately 31,000 participants. It concerns data from people who have retired, says Orpa Bisschop, one of the directors of the Blue Sky Group. It is likely that no data has
been leaked from employees who are still building up pension. "A study is still ongoing, but based on these initial results, we don't expect the size to increase."
Mailbox access
The data breach was probably caused at the end of July by a phishing email to an employee of Blue Sky Group. As a result, malicious parties have gained access to a mailbox of the pension provider. The leak was soon spotted. "Whoever clicked on it actually noticed it immediately. But the scope was not immediately clear. A crisis team was set up last week and then it became clear that it was really wrong." Besides KLM, Blue Sky Group also handles pension administration for Staples, Loodsen, SNS Reaal and recently also for Philips Pensioenfonds. The vast majority of those affected are former KLM staff.
Awareness Sessions
The pension provider has taken measures to prevent a recurrence. "Technical measures, aimed at procedures and behaviour," says Bisschop. For example, extra verification of payments has been set up and awareness sessions have been held with staff to make them even more aware of the danger of phishing emails. Furthermore, Blue Sky Group has reported the leak to the Dutch Data Protection Authority and will report it to the police.
In the near future, Blue Sky Group also asks participants to be extra alert to e-mails, telephone calls or apps where, for example, they are requested to provide login codes.
Source: https://nos.nl/artikel/2393398-gegevens-gepensioneerde-klm-ers-op-straat-door-groot-datalek-bij-pensioenuitvoerder
Translated from Dutch to English with Google translate