The whole village has become involved, according to the local newspaper Dalane Tidende wrote that the Danish GP couple Farnoosh Nedaei and Majid Rostami had to go home to Denmark.
A patient sent flowers and a handwritten letter to the couple.
The Danes have worked as GPs for between 2,000 and 3,000 patients in Eigersund municipality for over a year.
– MUST GO: Several thousand inhabitants in Eigersund will be without a GP when the couple has to return to Denmark on 1 July. Photo: Kristian Myhre
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Will settle in Norway
They were only supposed to be in Norway for half a year, but fell in love with Eigersund and have decided that they want to settle in the municipality.
The couple applied for approval of their internship period from Denmark over a year ago, so that they can continue on specialization here in Norway. The application has still not been processed, and Norwegian rules mean that doctors can therefore not work as GPs for more than one year.
Due to the pandemic, they have had to extend the time they have to work, but May 1 is the end.
Now they will probably have to leave several thousand patients and return to Denmark.
– WILL BE: The doctors will continue on the specialization they need to continue as GPs in Norway. Photo: Kristian Myhre
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TV 2 has previously written about the great shortage of GPs. Around 150,000 Norwegians are now without a GP.
Over a third of the municipalities report challenging or critical health care capacity of GPs.
– A disaster
For the municipality, which already lacks three GPs, this will mean that around 5,000 inhabitants will be without a GP. This corresponds to a third of all the inhabitants of the municipality.
– DESPAIR: Municipal chief physician Bjarne Rosenblad does not know what to do if the Danish couple disappears. Photo: Kristian Myhre, TV 2
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Municipal chief physician Bjarne Rosenblad believes that the word GP crisis is no longer adequate for the situation in his municipality.
– I think it will actually be a disaster soon, says the municipal superintendent.
The municipality is now considering whether they must apply to suspend the entire GP scheme in the municipality, because they will not be able to offer a GP to all residents.
– The cup is actually full at the moment, and we need a discussion of the consequences, Rosenblad says.
Asks for assessment
The couple hopes that the authorities will assess their competence, so that they can begin the specialization required to continue as a GP in Norway.
According to the Young Doctors’ Association, 40-50 doctors with education from Denmark come to Norway every year. They are now asking the government to look at the education of Danish doctors.
– PRAYER: Kristin Utne, leader of the Young Doctors’ Association, asks the government to compare the Norwegian and Danish practice periods. Photo: Marte Christensen / TV 2
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– We would like them to be able to make an assessment of their competence to see what they are missing, so that they can move on in a race in Norway as quickly as possible. This is to ensure that the doctors continue to be GPs where we need them, out in the Norwegian health service, says leader of the Young Doctors’ Association, Kristin Utne.
Can not make single-exceptions
Minister of Health Ingvild Kjerkol (Labor Party) says that the government views the Danish medical education as very good and very comparable to the Norwegian. Norway, on the other hand, has an old rotation service “Lis1”, which is not similar to the Danish one.
– If we are to make exceptions for other countries’ medical educations there, then we are obliged to do so with all other European countries. It will be a little too demanding, but we are looking at solutions so that any Danish doctors can implement what is called LIS1 in Norway in an appropriate way because we want to solve the GP crisis, says Kjerkol.
– DEMANDING: Minister of Health Ingvild Kjerkol says that they can not make a difference between Denmark and other countries. Photo: Martin Leigland / TV 2
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She adds that they see that Danish doctors, especially in the districts, have established themselves to the great benefit of those areas.
– Why is it that they are allowed to work here for one year and then they are no longer allowed? Are they not then authorized enough to work that year?
– This is what we’re looking at. I have no other answer for you now than that we want to solve the challenges so that long-term Danish doctors can continue to work in Norway, says the Minister of Health.
For the doctors in Eigersund, time is running out.
– What do you do if you do not get the application approved?
– It will be quite tough, but we just have to say that this is how it is, accept it and say that we tried. If that is not possible, then we will leave, says Rostami.
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