Lögberg-Heimskringla - 13.02.2004, Blaðsíða 5

Lögberg-Heimskringla • 13 febrúar 2004 • page 5
FRÉTTJR FRÁ ÍSLANDI • NEWS FROM ICELAND
Crisis in Health Care in Iceland?
Kent Lárus Björnsson
Reykjavík, Iceland
andspítalinn has been
ordered to cut its budget by
1.5 billion krónur or $30 million
Canadian. Most of the cuts will
occur at the two larger hospitals
in Reykjavík, on Hringbraut and
in Fossvogur.
In terms of cutbacks for a
large population base that it
maybe not that much, but
Iceland’s population is 100
times smaller than Canada’s and
1000 times smaller than the
United States’. These being the
main hospitals in Iceland, are
these cutbacks too great?
I am beginning to think I am
back in Canada when I listen to
news reports and read the paper
here. Cut backs and more cut-
backs in health care. There are
various opinions and versions
going around. Many of them are
similar to what has been going
around the media and political
scene in Canada for many years.
The most disturbing one for me
is the two-tier system. Health
care for the public versus health
care for those with money, who
will get preferential, faster treat-
ment. Yes that seems to be the
way the system is going in
Iceland.
I had the occasion to spend
sometime in the Icelandic health
care system in late November
and early December. So I will be
explaining what I saw and what
my opinions are. They may not
be what other people see or
experience but they are what I
experienced.
In late November, I missed
a day of work. I could not get to
sleep until early in the moming
but was still too stubbom to go
to the doctor. A few days later I
had another attack and this time
I knew I couldn’t do anything
but go to the hospital. The pain
was unbelievable, so I drove
myself to the Emergency
Depailment at the hospital in
Fossvogur. There were a few
people waiting in the waiting
area, a few people that had been
partying a little too rnuch and
got into a scuffle. I didn’t have
to wait too long before there
was a doctor to examine me.
They gave me some painkillers
and decided to send me to the
other hospital.
I was wheeled into an
ambulance and taken to the hos-
pital on Hringbraut. There I was
put into the intensive care ward.
The pain subsided and apart
from being poked and prodded
way too much the treatment was
fírst rate. They couldn’t find
anything wrong with me and I
was sent home. Before I was
even home some of my co-
workers had made arrangements
with a stomach specialist.
If I had any complaints
about my first visit to a hospital
in Iceland it was that they did not
make any suggestions or com-
ments about what I should do,
but I was grateful that someone
assisted me. Iceland can be a
rather small country sometimes.
As it tumed out one of the hus-
band of one of the guidance
counsellors is a digestive system
specialist. An appointment was
made for that very aftemoon. I
don’t think I would have gotten
an appointment that fast on my
own.
I drove myself to the
appointment at the hospital in
Fossvogur and found the ward.
This was the first place that
money was expected up front. I
had to pay ISK 2,500 ($50
CAD) for the visit. I was ush-
ered in to an examining room
right away; I had no symptoms
but was able to explain my pain.
The doctor decided that I
should be x-rayed. He called the
x-ray department but they were
booked up. He called a private
clinic; Domus Medica and they
would take me right away.
There I had to pay ISK 5,800 a
little more than $100 CAD for
an ultrasound. I was asked if I
had a discount card, but I didn’t
know what that was. It seemed
like the test cost ISK 12,000 but
the health care department paid
a good pail of it. 1 didn’t ask
whal it would of cost if 1 was
able to be x-rayed at the hospi-
tal. Cost didn’t matter much to
me I just wanted to find out
what was the matter.
They said they would con-
tact my doctor and he would call
me in a few days. Well he called
me the very next day and I was
informed I had gallstones. Over
the phone we decided that I
would be operated on and that I
should be able to wait until mid
December, after exams at the
school I work at and the night
school I am studying at. He said
we would be in touch a little
later to confírm things.
Only two days later the pain
was back and with a vengeance.
I even called my cousin, a doc-
tor in the countryside, to see if
he could suggest something.
The pain would not go away. I
drove myself to the hospital
again. I went to Fossvogur again
since that is where the doctor
was, but they sent me in an
ambulance again to the other
hospital. I ended up in the hall-
way this time, as there was no
room in the intensive caTe ward.
It was decided quite quickly that
they would operate on me, so I
was transferred to the surgery
ward. I was the last one operat-
ed on that Friday aftemoon.
1 don’t remember anything
after arriving in the operating
room. I woke up in the recovery
room and spent quite awhile
there before I retumed to the
wai'd. I was still in a lot of pain
but medication kept it under
control. I spent another night in
the hospital and then was sent
home. I was maybe not really
ready but went home anyway. I
was eating painkillers like
candy and two days later the
pain was getting worse. I called
the doctor and he said to come
in again.
I arrived at the Emergency
Department. and was stuck in
the hall again. They transferred
rne a little later to the same room
I had been in two days earlier. 1
received various tests, ultra-
sound, was x-rayed. They put a
drain bag on me, which leaked
like crazy the fírst night. The
next day they operated on me
again, but this time they went
down my throat. They found
The hospital in Fossvogur
that there was one stone left and
they were able to retrieve it.
I received the best of care
and many of the staff were tmly
awesome. I did notice many of
the cleaning staff are foreigners.
Probably the best nurse was
originally from Poland. She was
in training but went out of her
way for patients. I did find that
some of the nurses were not as
concerned about patients, but
maybe they just had a bad day
or something.
About a month after my
first visit to hospital I received a
bill for my visit. It was for ISK
3,000 or $60 CAD. I am waiting
for bills for my other two visits.
My understanding is that when
people are in the hospital system
x-rays and other treatments are
paid for by insurance, while the
same would have to be paid for
by the patients if they were not
in hospital. There is a minimum
amount people have to pay each
year. After this amount is
reached they get a discount card
and have to pay even less per
treatment or visit. This discount
is only for the calendar year and
is not carried forward.
Landspítáli Háskólans,
University Hospital, one of the
main hospitals of Reykjavík has
been ordered to reduce costs
greatly. They have said that at
least 200 staff will be losing
their jobs. Service will be cut
back and many are criticizing
the cutbacks. For example the
emergency department at the
main hospital will be closed on
weekends.
The biggest criticism is
coming because of heart
patients. They will be sent to the
Fossvogur hospital first and
then sent to the other hospital on
Hringbraut for treatment,
because that is where the heart
facilities are. There will be
much time added before the
patients begin receiving treat-
ment.
Iceland’s population is
reaching 300,000, which is still
quite small to support a public
health care system. In discus-
sions about health care cutbacks
and public health care in gener-
al they are often using Canada
for comparison and discussion.
They even mention the
Romanow Commission. Many
of the same problems exist in
Iceland as in Canada. The popu-
lation is declining in the coun-
tryside and cost of health care
rising.
Cutbacks are inevitable and
the discussion will continue for
sometime. People with heart
problems are being monitored
closely. A few days ago a heait
patient was sent home and died
the next day. Was it the result of
cutbacks?
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