Skagafjörður warns rehab pool closure could raise health costs

Closing a rehabilitation pool in Sauðárkrókur could increase costs elsewhere in the healthcare system rather than save money, Skagafjörður municipal manager Magnús Barðdal Reynisson told mbl.is.

The pool, run by the North Iceland Health Institution (HSN), has been closed since the summer because of the institution’s financial difficulties. Health Minister Alma Möller is due to discuss the matter with HSN’s director tomorrow. The institution plans to review the situation around the New Year.

The closure has drawn strong opposition in Skagafjörður. The municipal council unanimously passed a resolution against it on October 14, and 1,232 people have signed a petition calling for the pool to reopen. Magnús has requested a meeting with the health minister and says funding is needed to restore the service.

An average of 70 to 90 people used the pool each day, including people with musculoskeletal problems or limited mobility. It hosted rehabilitation and water-based exercise led by physiotherapists, as well as swimming for babies and pregnant women. Older people attending day care also used it, and visitors came from across north-west Iceland.

Magnús said some older people relied on swimming as their only regular form of exercise. He also warned that some users feared losing an important part of their rehabilitation and might struggle to continue working without regular training.

He cited Finance Minister Daði Már Kristófersson’s comments to RÚV yesterday, when he described health promotion for older people as a sensible investment. Magnús said cutting a service that supports prevention runs counter to that principle and could increase healthcare spending over time.