Iceland review - 2016, Page 65

ICELAND REVIEW 63
2000. But money was scarce. When the
state telecom company was sold in 2005,
opportunity struck, and part of the pro-
ceeds were pledged to a new hospital
building. The money, however, was used
for other outlays, as tends to happen
when banking systems collapse and econ-
omies need saving. But now that that
money finally seems to be available,
we get bogged down in petty disagree-
ments about where exactly the hospital
should be built—potentially setting us
back another decade. Time is not a
luxury we can afford. In April, the hos-
pital’s ER department was clogged up by
people who spent anywhere from one to
five days there instead of the normal 4-6
hours, because there was no room for
them elsewhere. Many of those stuck in
the ER were elderly people waiting for a
bed in the medical unit.
It is a common misconception that a
hospital building is a building like any
other, that by building a new hospital
now we have solved the problem for the
next two generations. A hospital is a work
in progress; it is a collection of buildings
that evolve. It needs constant moderni-
zation and investment. Old buildings are
torn down and new ones put up as the
practice of medicine progresses and new
technology is adopted.
Although the cost of building a new
hospital seems astronomical, the cost
of running the health service is one of
the biggest expenditures of developed
nations. The annual running costs dwarf
the capital outlay. The new hospital is
expected to cost around ISK 70 billion
(USD 565 million), but the savings
from moving to one location would be
around ISK 3 billion per year (the hos-
pital currently operates in 100 buildings
in 17 locations scattered around the
city.)
THE TIME IS NOW
There is more to be gained from a new
hospital than efficiency. A university
hospital serves a different purpose than
a field hospital, where the wounded are
given minimum treatment to stay alive.
A university hospital is a research insti-
tution, a place where new ideas are fos-
tered, where doctors and nursing staff
come together in formal and informal
settings to advance the knowledge of
their professions. It is conducive to dis-
cussion and is a great place for talented
people to work. Research and teaching
guarantees the use of the latest methods
and is, therefore, also a form of quality
assurance.
The 86,500 signatories to the petition
sent a strong signal to the government
that healthcare spending should be a
priority. During the doctors’ strike last
year we realized that we have taken the
healthcare service for granted. We have
assumed that when we need them, our
doctors and nurses will always be there
for us.
Perhaps a counterfactual works best
here: imagine life in this country without
a great healthcare service, without our
doctors and nurses being there for us in
time of need, a prospect we entertained
briefly during the doctors’ strike last
year. It would make life here unbearable.
Everything is in place to start build-
ing a new hospital. Let’s stop chasing
our tails, roll up our sleeves and get to
work! *
Halldór Lárusson is an entrepreneur.
He has degrees in economics, philosophy
and history of science.

OPINION
One of many posters at Landspítali intended to boost staff morale.