Editorial: do kick into gear, Mr Ossinovski

Photo: Jochen Sand/picture alliance/moodboard/Scanpix

The deficit in Health Insurance Fund is shocking and shows the politicians are in a bigger hurry with systemic changes than we were guessing. Also, the state budget hole is likely to be deeper than envisioned. 

While nothing will happen tomorrow and for years the healthcare will work, the trend is in motion.

Indecisiveness would erode trust towards the system, beginning with managers and staff at healthcare institutions.

Investment decisions and personal plans of the doctors will be shaped by the unknown – in two, three or five years.

While we still have reserves left – to be used for investments into rearrangements, we suggest – urgent action and pointed planning is needed. Now.

Having been of the opinion, that the health insurance rearrangements are a topic for next general elections, the gaping deficit says we have less time than that.  

While unable to control the underlying factors of ageing population, the better yet increasingly expensive equipment, and wage pressures, the government can make investments into technology and arrangement of work to save the time of doctors and other medical workers – by increased effectiveness.

We do know, don’t we, that we have about twice the visits per patient yearly than in the Nordics. Prudent and working ways must be found to cut the unnecessary visits.

Regarding optimising the hospitals network, painful political decisions are the order of the day.