There is none doctor in Ittoqqortoormiit, which has 328 inhabitants, and it not only creates insecurity among the citizens, but is also unacceptable, says member of Inatsisartut, Mette Arqe-Hammeken, Naleraq. Therefore, she has asked a question to Naalakkersuisut according to section 37 about how it can be done to have a permanent doctor and what it will cost.
In some cities, including Ittoqqortoormiit, it is currently difficult to hire a permanent doctor, writes Naalakkersuisoq for Health and Persons with Disabilities, Anna Wangenheim, Demokraatit, in a response.
There is none doctor in Ittoqqortoormiit, which has 328 inhabitants, and it not only creates insecurity among the citizens, but is also unacceptable, says member of Inatsisartut, Mette Arqe-Hammeken, Naleraq. Therefore, she has asked a question to Naalakkersuisut according to section 37 about how it can be done to have a permanent doctor and what it will cost.
In some cities, including Ittoqqortoormiit, it is currently difficult to hire a permanent doctor, writes Naalakkersuisoq for Health and Persons with Disabilities, Anna Wangenheim, Demokraatit, in a response.
Two nurses
Ittoqqortoormiit is one of the most inaccessible towns in Greenland, yet the town has not had a doctor for many years. Only two nurses are employed at the health centre.
According to the answer from Naalakkersuisoq for Health, a specialist doctor is not required to be available at short notice, and if a doctor is to be employed in Ittoqqortoormiit with working hours from eight in the morning to four in the afternoon, this is used as an example of what it will cost. It is clarified that costs for hiring and retaining staff are not included in the calculation.
High costs
According to the information given to Mette Arqe-Hammeken, a doctor in Ittoqqortoormiit will have an annual salary of a total of DKK 1,080,183. For a doctor who cannot take time off, there is an annual supplement of DKK 106,383, which brings the total annual income to DKK 1,186,567.
– It is currently difficult to recruit doctors for permanent positions in the coastal areas. It is therefore expected that the hires will be on short-term contracts.
– In addition to the costs for the doctor’s salary, costs are also expected for doctors who work in rotation every four weeks, it is expected by the health service.
– Costs for daily allowance for four days are also expected for doctors traveling on rotation. These are expected to be around DKK 135,000 annually, says Anna Wangenheim.
Costs of around DKK 30,000 – 40,000 are also expected for each doctor who travels in rotation. This means that the total costs for doctors traveling on rotation are expected to be between DKK 390,000 – 520,000, writes the Minister of Health in his reply.
– This means that the annual expenses for the above and for holiday pay are expected to be between DKK 1.7 – 1.85 million, explains Anna Wangenheim.
If a doctor is not employed in Ittoqqortoormiit all year, but only for one month, it will cost an average of around DKK 98,881 per month.
– This means that a doctor who works in Ittoqqortoormiit twice a year for one month will receive a total salary of DKK 197,762, she says.
Expenses for travel during employment and resignation are not included here.
According to information from the health center in Ittoqqortoormiit, only one nurse is employed at times due to difficulties in finding substitutes.
Consultations in Ittoqqortoormiit take place directly via computer connection to Queen Ingrid’s Hospital in Nuuk.
Takes the case forward
It is not reassuring that in the near future there is no prospect of getting a doctor in Ittoqqortoormiit, says Mette Arqe-Hammeken, who is from Ittoqqortoormiit, but now lives in Nuuk.
– It is of course good that there are permanent nurses at the health center in Ittoqqortoormiit, but it is unsafe that there is no doctor.
– When something urgent happens, we really lack a doctor, so it must be ensured that, like other cities in Greenland, we get medical care.
– If a permanent doctor is to be employed in Ittoqqortoormiit, according to the answer, the expenses will be very large. But if good and safe service is to be achieved for citizens, money must not be an obstacle, she says.
In order to improve transport conditions in East Greenland, Naalakkersuisut and the Danish state have entered into an agreement to build runways for aircraft in Ittoqqortoormiit and Tasiilaq. In connection with the construction of the runway in Ittoqqortoormiit, it must be ensured that a doctor is employed, Mette Arqe-Hammeken believes. That is why she is now working on a resolution proposal in Inatsisartut to get a permanent doctor in Ittoqqortoormiit, she emphasizes.
