Balancing medicine and family life
Meet Adriaan Van Den Akker, a physician from the Netherlands who moved to Haugesund with his young family.
Published 2/20/2026
A trained family physician, Adriaan relocated to Haugesund during the COVID pandemic to begin working as an emergency physician.
Haugesund Hospital
He currently works in the Accident and Emergency Department at Haugesund Hospital – one of the four hospitals in Helse Fonna, a regional health authority in the southwest of Norway.
The Accident and Emergency Department in Haugesund treats an average of 60 patients per day.
Jobs for two
He moved here with wife, Marijn, who is also a physician working at the same hospital, and their young family in search of a better work-life balance.
(Photo: Invest in Rogaland)
According to Adriaan, you get a complete package here: nature and family life. It's a good combination.
Norway has been good to us
By moving here, we were hoping for a new life, where we were able to both work as doctors and have a family life as well. It's been a very good choice for us. We have a much better balance in our life. We can work normal hours in full-time positions, without having to compromise on family life.
Hear Adriaan talk more about his experience of working and living in Haugesund.