US ready to help Greenland healthcare if asked, doctor says

The United States is prepared to assist Greenland’s healthcare system if the Greenlandic people request it, according to Dr. Joseph Griffin, an American physician travelling with the US special envoy to Greenland.

Griffin, a doctor from Louisiana, is part of a delegation led by Governor Jeff Landry, who also serves as the US special envoy to Greenland, currently visiting Nuuk. Speaking to DR in the streets of the capital, Griffin said the US could help with “any part of the healthcare system” if asked.

He stated that Landry invited him to join the trip to provide a medical assessment, focusing on medical education and needs. “I’m not here to say this country doesn’t have an adequate healthcare system,” Griffin said. “We’re here to learn how medicine is practised in this country, just like I would in any other.”

Griffin highlighted potential collaboration on natural remedies, noting that the US is reevaluating the role of such treatments for chronic diseases. “Greenland is potentially a phenomenal country with those capabilities,” he said.

A planned meeting with a representative of Greenland’s health ministry did not take place, Griffin said, so his assessment will be based on conversations with people he meets on the street. “The population has concerns, just like Americans have concerns,” he added.

When asked about previous opposition to the idea of US hospital ships in Greenland, Griffin said he had not heard about such plans during this mission. He said his findings would be reported to Governor Landry.

Some Greenlanders interviewed by DR expressed scepticism, noting that the US healthcare system is expensive and not accessible for many. Griffin responded that chronic disease risks exist regardless of the system and that solutions require openness and a change in mindset, pointing to Greenland’s natural approaches.

Tags: Greenland, United States, healthcare