Faroe Islands scraps plans for Klaksvík dialysis unit

The Faroese government has abandoned plans to establish a dialysis treatment facility at Klaksvík Hospital, citing insufficient staffing and technical infrastructure, national broadcaster KVF reports.

Health minister Eyðdis Hartmann Niclasen confirmed in a written parliamentary response that the project would require “urgent space, specialised technical equipment, and personnel with the necessary expertise.” She added that extensive technical modifications would be needed before the hospital could support dialysis treatment.

The estimated cost for equipment and installation reaches 1.8 million Danish kroner, with annual operating expenses projected between 3.6 and 5.2 million kroner.

Niclasen warned that further spreading limited specialist resources could worsen overall dialysis care in the Faroe Islands. The national health service has previously stated that maintaining a single critical specialist function is already under severe strain.

The minister’s response followed a parliamentary question from MP Elsebeth Mercedes Gunnleygsdóttir, who sought clarification on whether the government intended to establish dialysis services in Klaksvík to better serve patients in the Northern Isles and Eysturoy.