Rotterdam to have Islamic Hospital
Paul Sturkenboom wants to build an Islamic hospital in Rotterdam, the first in the Netherlands. He presented his plan yesterday at the Zakenfestival business festival in Rotterdam.
Sturkenboom was chairman of the executive board of the Slotervaart hospital in Amsterdam, which was taken over by investors a month ago. He now hopes to build a hospital in Rotterdam within two years where the customs and traditions of the Islamic culture are followed.
Food will be ‘halal’ (prepared according to Islamic standards) and there will be separate wards for men and women. In addition, women will only be treated by female specialists and men only by male doctors. Besides this, an imam will be present at all times, there will be a separate area for prayer and Islamic medicines and herbs will be used.
“There are about a hundred hospitals in the Netherlands based on general or Christian principles, but none at all for the more than a million Muslims living here. They are regularly confronted by problems,” Sturkenboom explained. “For example, they are only able to obtain halal food sporadically. The result is that they often refuse all hospital meals and have to provide their own food.”
The 45 specialists and 275 nursing and paramedical personnel the hospital expects to need do not have to be Muslims themselves. “But they must naturally respect the faith,” Sturkenboom observed. Independent MP Geert Wilders put forward questions in writing yesterday to Integration Minister Verdonk asking whether she will allow “this apartheid project”.
Source: NIS News, ANP, 28 September 2006
