High North News

Northern Norway: "Need a Health Reform That Can Wihstand Arctic Weather

Trine Jonassen
health

“There is a long way from a ministry office in Oslo to an ambulance on a winter-closed road in Nordland. With a new healthcare reform, that distance must become smaller, not larger,” says Marianne Dobak Kvensjø (Conservative Party), County Council Leader in Nordland, Northern Norway, according to a press release.

The County Council Leader is particularly concerned about emergency services for the residents of Nordland. She is clear that a digital ‘front line’ cannot replace an ambulance when time is of the essence.

“The healthcare reform must provide people with security and assistance—even when the road is closed and the ferry isn’t running,” she says.

Kvensjø had high expectations for the reform and for the report from the healthcare reform committee due on Monday, but initial signals have left her more skeptical.

“Minister of Health Jan Christian Vestre wants more collaboration, new funding models, and a digital front-line service.”

While Kvensjø is positive toward several of these measures, she suggests that the reform may not sufficiently account for the everyday realities faced by patients across the country.

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