Don't endure … – altaposten.no

This quote from the poem « You must not sleep » by Arnulf Øverland, Health Minister Jan Christian Vestre and health policy spokesperson in the Labor Party Truls Vasvik should read and take on. For in the newspaper post « Health preparedness five years after Korona » (Published, among other things, in the Altaposten), in my opinion, they show that they so far can withstand the injustice that does not affect them.

In their post they say « We have increased the number of educational positions for intensive care nurses since 2020, but the need is still great for this important competence. » This looks nice on paper, but what is the reality?

In the National Emergency Plan for Pandemic influenza from October 2014, it was recommended to increase the intensive capacity in Norway to 1400 places. It was never done. When the corona duck hit Norway in March 2020, according to Aftenposten, we had 289 intensive places. In March 2021, there were 278 intensive places, ie eleven fewer. The number of intensive sites has since been rather unchanged.

(As a curiosity, I can note that just before Christmas 2023, 333 people with a director's title in the ministry, directorate, supervision and various national and regional health enterprises were an increase of 10% from January 2022).

In an article in Today's Business In 2021, they point out that Norway has barely 5 intensive places per year. 100,000 inhabitants. The corresponding figure for Germany is over 30 intensive places per year. 100,000 inhabitants.

Now it should also be taken with the fact that Norway is at the top when it comes to the number of nurses/doctors per year. inhabitant, but what does it help when the need for intensive care places (and intensive care nurses) suddenly explodes as during a pandemic?

With these (albeit a few years old) figures in mind, we understand that the number of intensive care places in Norwegian hospitals must be increased. Then it appears to me as a logical shortage that the intensive capacity at Hammerfest hospital is taken down by almost 30% when they cut over 5 man -years in the intensive care unit.

According to the management, the reason is that money should be saved. The fact that this savings causes Health Minister Vestre to stand in NRK to tell joy that Finnmark Hospital is on the right track can be perceived as nothing but that he does not care about the injustice that is committed here against the people of West Finnmark and also against those working at the hospital.

The Minister of Health is obviously willing to sacrifice the security and safety of the population on Mammon's altar! And that in one of the world's richest countries!

Would he and the rest of the Ministry of Health withstand such injustice committed against themselves? Doubted!

Øyvind Seljeseth, Alta