No majority to stop the hospital process in North Helse

The Conservative Party will not join SV’s attempt to take control of the process, which could result in the closure of hospitals and health services in northern Norway.

– We believe in principle that this is the responsibility of the Minister of Health. It is she who bears overall responsibility for hospitals in Norway, health policy spokesperson Tone Wilhelmsen Trøen told Alting.

She cites the division of labor between the Storting, the government and health organizations as the reason why she does not support the SV proposal.

The party wants to transfer the decision-making process to the National Assembly: “Such a comprehensive change in hospital provision across the whole of northern Norway must be decided in the Storting, not at a company meeting like this “is scheduled for today,” the party said. The SV proposal says.

KrF supports such an approach, while Frp and Rødt politicians have gone even further and are reportedly asking the government to stop the entire process.

This week, a working group from Helse Nord proposed major changes in the healthcare system for northerners.

In particular, it was recommended to close the emergency hospital in Lofoten and transform it into a district medical center, as well as to reduce Helgeland from two to one hospital. At the same time, the emergency response from Narvik Hospital can be transferred to Harstad Hospital.

This came after Health Minister Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) last year asked health authorities to examine what measures could create a better specialized health service in the north in the future.

Kjerkol himself described the health organization’s situation as serious and believes the lack of professionals is critical.

– Today, the Minister of Health and the government have launched very extensive and comprehensive work in the field of northern health. This has created a lot of insecurity and uncertainty for citizens and health workers, Trøen tells Altinget.

– We must now expect the government to achieve this too. It was special to see, among others, the Center Party which, immediately after the working group presented its proposal, effectively canceled and punctuated the entire process.