After the Danish government has agreed to pay for the treatment of patients from Greenland in Denmark, Naalakkersuisut wants to add significant sums of millions to other parts of the healthcare system in Greenland. DKK 35 million is also proposed to be set aside for the payment of compensation in the spiral case.
The Danish government has agreed to pay for patients sent from Greenland for treatment in Denmark.
A document from Inatsisartut’s Finance and Tax Committee shows how much money Naalakkersuisut concretely expects to save on the agreement, as well as how Naalakkersuisut wants to use the money in other areas.
If we first look at the savings, it appears from the document that Naalakkersuisut wants to reduce the grant for somatic patient treatment abroad by DKK 132.7 million. DKK
Psychiatric patient treatment abroad must be reduced by DKK 24.3 million. DKK, and the grant for psychiatric placement according to the Criminal Code is reduced by DKK 26 million. DKK
This means a saving in 2026 of a total of DKK 183 million. DKK
Proposed divided into a number of projects
The large savings are proposed to benefit a number of other projects:
- 20 million DKK must be set aside as a reserve for new initiatives
- 10 million DKK must go to the main account for Queen Ingrid’s Hospital
- 30 million DKK for medical services under the health regions
- 20 million DKK goes to the National Pharmacy
- An account for joint costs is increased by DKK 8 million. DKK
- 35 million DKK goes to increase the grant for the Contraception Case
- In addition, Naalakkersuisut proposes that the grant for a so-called Apparatus pool be increased by DKK 15 million. DKK, project, and that 20 million DKK goes to maintenance backlog.
- The health service’s standard accommodation will be increased by DKK 10 million. DKK, and a new project “Fire safety, DIH” is increased by DKK 15 million. DKK
35 million DKK for compensation
As can be seen from the above list, a total of 35 million is proposed to be set aside. DKK for the Contraception case, also known as the spiral case.
Naalakkersuisut has previously set aside DKK 4.5 million. DKK to provide compensation to women who have been given contraception without consent in the years after the health sector was taken home in 1992.
The problem is that far more women than expected have applied for compensation – Naalakkersuisut has previously announced that 111 applications for compensation are being processed.
If each of the 111 women is awarded DKK 300,000 in compensation, the total will be DKK 33.3 million. DKK, which must be collected from the national treasury.
If the above proposal from Naalakkersuisut is approved, this maneuver can therefore secure the money for the allowances.
Committee has asked questions and is awaiting approval
It appears from the document from the Finance and Tax Committee that the committee did not immediately accept Naalakkersuisut’s proposal.
Instead, the committee has asked Naalakkersuisut a number of questions and is awaiting the answers to these before any approval.
Among other things, the committee wants to get information on how Naalakkersuisut will ensure compliance with limits for expenditure increases in the Finance Act from year to year during the time period in which Denmark provides this grant.
It is not clear from the document how long Denmark will provide the subsidy, but the money comes from a pool which has been allocated for four years.
On 9 February this year, naalakkersuisoq for finance, Múte B. Egede (IA), stated that he had entered into an agreement with the Danish finance minister that Denmark must henceforth cover the basic expenses for the patients from Greenland who are sent for treatment in Denmark.
