According to a new report, the primary health service has capacity problems to cope with the influx of Ukrainian refugees. In particular, there is a shortage of GPs.
Almost 220,000 Norwegians do not have GB – and now Ukrainian refugees are putting additional pressure on the health service, according to a new report from the Integration and Diversity Directorate (Imdi), Vårt Land writes.
From medium-sized municipalities (around 5,000 people) to large urban municipalities (up to 30,000), the situation is more complex. The elderly and seriously ill are more likely to require additional medical assistance.
Health Minister Ingvild Kjerkol (Ap) acknowledged the problems. In a letter to the Storting, he writes that the assessment shows that municipalities report that capacity in the municipal health and care service is one of the reasons for the solution's challenges.
– This is particularly the case for GPs and services in mental health, he writes.
Kerkol sees health and care services under pressure in many municipalities, but believes this is not primarily linked to the offer for refugees – and that public capacity is the deciding factor.
The influx of Ukrainians is the biggest refugee challenge Norway faces in modern times. In 2022 and 2023, nearly 72,400 war refugees arrived in the country.
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