Greenland seeks treatment for patients in North Jutland

Greenland’s health minister wants some patients from Greenland to receive treatment at hospitals in North Jutland, DR reports.

About 1,500 patients are sent from Greenland to hospitals in Copenhagen each year for specialist treatment. Anna Wangenheim, who represents the Democrats and is minister for health and persons with disabilities, said some of these patients should instead be treated in North Jutland.

The former Danish government allocated 1.6 billion kroner last September to strengthen Greenland’s healthcare system. The agreement has since been expanded, including a decision that Denmark will cover all costs connected with treating Greenlandic patients at Danish hospitals.

Most patients have so far been offered treatment at Rigshospitalet, Hvidovre Hospital or Bispebjerg Hospital. Before and after their admission or examination, they stay at the Greenlandic Patient Home, a residence for patients from Greenland.

Wangenheim said North Jutland already had good cooperation with Greenland and that many Greenlandic residents had ties to the region.

More than 3,000 people born in Greenland currently live in North Jutland. This makes Region North Jutland the Danish region with the largest number of residents born in Greenland. Wangenheim said they could offer support and assistance to patients coming to Denmark for treatment.

Region North Jutland’s council chairman, Mads Duedahl, said the region was open to expanding its cooperation with Greenland.

“We have physical space at the former Sygehus Syd hospital, but we need to examine the staffing situation in the individual specialties,” Duedahl said.

He added that the task would be important and interesting for North Jutland as long as the funding was provided.

Region North Jutland already has an agreement to treat patients from the Faroe Islands.