The Dutch House of Representatives has today appointed Reinier van Zutphen to the post of National Ombudsman of the Netherlands. The news was welcomed by the Acting and Deputy National Ombudsmen and the National Ombudsman Office.

The Ombudsman and the autonomous-regional ombudsmen presented the joint study “Hospital Accident and Emergency services in the National Health System: patients’ rights and guarantees”, which examines the realities of A&E services and the impact on people’s fundamental rights of how they work.

A 62-year-old woman could have survived a severe infection called sepsis had she received proper care at a London-based hospital, an investigation by the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman has found.

A tragic accident took place between a Karachi-bound bus coming from Swat and a truck near Theri bypass, Khairpur Sindh in the early hours of Tuesday, November 11, 2014 that claimed the lives of 57 passengers including the driver and injuries to 21 others.

Advocate Leshele Abel Thoahlane KC has been appointed as the new Ombudsman effective from the 2^nd February 2015. This comes after Advocate ‘Neile Alina‘Matsoana Fanana KC contract expired on the 31^st November, 2014.

The Ombudsman Office of Latvia carried out an information campaign against human trafficking. The so-called project “Gards kumosiņš ("Crumpet") was co-sponsored by the IOI.

Following its call for applications for regional subsidies for the membership year 2014/2015, the IOI decided to extend the deadline for applications, allowing member institutions to turn in their applications for regional subsidies until 27 February 2015.

Ombudsman’s staff members participated in a round table where the final report on a survey studying the features and causes of Domestic Violence (DV) against women in Azerbaijan was presented to the corresponding authorities and the public. The representatives of the Ministry of Health, Public Health and Reforms Center of Azerbaijan, the Office of the Ombudsman and the State Committee for Family, Women and Child Issues participated at this event.