A surgeon is blamed for the deaths of five obese patients who underwent stomach reduction operations, Eindhoven Council refuses to house an uncooperative paedophile, at least one in ten Dutch households face debt, Prime Minister Balkenende is criticised for failing to prevent the construction of a royal holiday home in Mozambique from turning into a fiasco and Amsterdam slips in the ratings for favourite business locations. Nevertheless the Netherlands is apparently the sixth best place to live in the world. Here is a selection from today's papers in the Netherlands. 

Surgeon blamed for deaths
"Stomach surgeon Nick R's blunders claim five lives" is the headline in today's AD. It says at least five patients died over an 18-month period due to mistakes during stomach reduction operations in a hospital in the northeastern city of Emmen. A picture of the surgeon, balding, with glasses and a thick grey moustache, has the eyes blocked out to 'protect his identity'.An external report is said to conclude the deaths could have been avoided and that the doctor and hospital were to blame. The report was to have been made public today but is being withheld because the surgeon is challenging the findings.

The paper says the same doctor was found guilty of culpable homicide by a court in Germany in 2002 following a clinical error which resulted in a patient's death. Sources connected to the report say fatal errors were repeated time and time again because of communication problems within the operation team. The hospital halted the stomach reduction operations in April and suspended the surgeon.

Relatives of those who died and other patients who were affected find it shocking that the report is not being made public. A lawyer tells the paper: "The case has turned into a proper circus, and we're now not going to get total openness. It's sad to have to conclude that a surgeon like this has the power to keep the case under wraps."

Council refuses to house paedophile
On its front page, de Volkskrant covers the news that Eindhoven Council is refusing to allow a convicted paedophile to return to his former neighbourhood. Public order legislation is being cited to justify the move, the first of its kind by a local Dutch council. It is argued the man's presence will lead to unrest and revenge attacks.

He has just been released after serving 27 months for the sexual abuse of two boys aged 10 and 13. He has one previous conviction on similar charges. The court ordered that he undergo rehabilitation supervision for five years after his release. However, the order cannot be enforced because the man is appealing against the ruling.

Eindhoven Council was only prepared to provide the man with rented accommodation on condition he gave up his appeal, accepted the supervision order and electronic tagging. He would also not be allowed near playgrounds, swimming pools, schools, children's day centres and sport parks.

The man refused to agree to the council's demands although he says he is willing to accept supervision on a voluntary basis. A lawyer tells the paper the council's move is "absolutely unique" and adds that "it goes far too far".

One in ten homes in debt
Today's Trouw sounds the alarm about the spectre of debt, saying one in ten Dutch households is facing debt problems. And, it warns, the figures from a government-commissioned report only cover the period up to October 2008, just before the economic crisis hit. The current situation is probably much worse.

Low income homes, single and unemployed people appear to be most at risk of getting into problem debt. However, couples earning average salaries were also singled out as a group often living beyond their means.

Deputy Social Affairs Minister Jetta Klijnsma wants to concentrate on education to help people deal with their finances better. "It's incredibly important that, if there's less coming in, people cut their coat according to their cloth," she wisely tells us.

PM under fire on royals
Nrc.next reports that MPs from the governing coalition parties, Labour and the Christian Union, are pushing for an inquiry into Crown Prince Willem-Alexander's plans to build a holiday home in Mozambique.

The project which includes the construction of a luxury resort was touted as helping the local population. However, there has been recent bad publicity, including accusations that the developer had bribed the local authorities in Mozambique.

The Union of House of Orange Associations, a sort of nationwide royal fan club, has taken an unusually critical stance on the royal project. It says it's time the prince pulled the plug on it.

De Volkskrant, meanwhile, reminds us that issues round the royal family will be debated in parliament on Thursday. These will include questionable financial practices at the palace. The paper expects that Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende will get a rough ride. A Socialist Party MP knows just who to blame for the trouble the royal family finds itself in: " This bother is the result of lack of direction on the part of Mr Balkenende".

Two aspects of life in the Netherlands
Figures covered by nrc.next show that Amsterdam is becoming less popular with companies than other European cities. In 2008, the Dutch capital was the sixth in a list of European cities chosen as sites for company offices. This year it has dropped to eighth place.

However, De Telegraaf allows us to finish with an upbeat piece of news. It says UN research covering 182 countries shows the Netherlands is the sixth best place to live in the world. The criteria considered did not just include earnings but also general welfare, such as health care and life expectancy.