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– I think it might be natural to get involved in crisis management when I started. As an infection control physician in a pandemic situation, you have a professional responsibility.
The head of infection control, Karina Koller Løland, in the municipality of Bergen, says a little desisted.
On Saturday, it was announced that he had resigned after just eight months.
– In all contexts, when it comes to infection and pandemic, it is the superior of infection control who is the municipal superior. That responsibility is not so easy to fully assume when it is not allowed to receive and provide information or participate in the discussions that take place at the higher level, he says.
He started work two weeks after the Bergen municipality established crisis management for the crown. That she shouldn’t be part of crisis management was a surprise.
– At first I thought it was sitting there, but I quickly discovered that it was wrong.
First she was “in”
On Friday, February 28, 2020, Bergen received its first proven case of coronary heart disease. On the same day, the crisis management of the municipality decided to set up the group “Corona Project”. The director of infection control was listed as one of the permanent members.
The record of this meeting reads:
“The permanent participants in the management of the project will be the municipal directors, information director, emergency manager and chief doctor of infection control.”
The “Crown Project” received the delegated crisis authority from the municipal crisis management (KKL).
It was emphasized that “The project group was established because it was considered more effective than KKL in handling the challenges that the infection situation could pose for the municipality.”
But at this time, the Bergen municipality did not have an infection control doctor. The hiring process was underway, regardless of the corona pandemic, but it wasn’t until Monday, March 16, that Karina Koller Løland had her first day as the city’s infection control doctor.
Meanwhile, things had happened.
TESTING: To get more people to test themselves, a test station was opened at Festplassen in the city center of Bergen in November.
Photo: Leif Rune Løland / NRK
… then “out”
When the group met for the first time on Monday, March 2, it was called “KKL – Korona.”
On March 10, the city council decided “Keep the delegation of the crisis authorization granted by the crisis management of the municipality (KKL) on February 28, 2020 to the Korona Project”.
Once again, the director of infection control was on the list of members:
“The permanent members of the group are all city directors and the professional roles of chief infection control physician, chief information officer, director of human resources, chief negotiator and emergency manager.”
But in practice, it was medical director Trond Egil Hansen who participated in the group.
From Monday March 16, the same day Koller Løland started as chief infection control physician, the formal composition of municipal coronary crisis management has changed.
Now the director of infection control was no longer on the list.
Medical Director Trond Egil Hansen and City Director for Seniors, Health and Volunteering Kjell Wolff, on the other hand, were sitting in crisis management.
UNWANTED: Chief Medical Officer Trond Egil Hansen says you didn’t want Koller Hansen in crisis management, because it would affect many other important tasks of the head of infection control.
Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB
– I raise my hand
Medical specialist Trond Egil Hansen says Koller Hansen is not wanted in crisis management.
– No, it would affect many other important duties of the Director of Infection Control under the Infection Control Act. Sitting physically in crisis management takes up most of the working hours of the week.
He emphasizes that Koller Løland has always been given a comma with his comments.
– Several days a week he has given his assessments, advice and recommendations to the management.
She describes this differently herself.
– It was in a way five minutes at the end of the meeting. Then I sat down, held out my hand, and was able to say a few words. It was at that level, nothing more than that.
IN THE CITY: Medical Director Trond Egil Hansen became a verandah in crisis management despite the Bergen Township being appointed Chief Infection Control Physician.
Photo: Julianne Flølo / NRK
“Join as needed”
The group «KKL – Korona» functioned as the management of the crown crisis of the Bergen municipality until April. The City Council then considered justified “demobilizing” the crisis management.
Since May 1, the pandemic in Bergen has been managed administratively by an intermediate project group led by Councilor Roger Valhammer. The medical specialist Hansen was also present here.
Infection control physician Koller Hansen was listed among the “other resources joining as needed”.
But in September, when the infection broke out, especially due to student parties, it was the general municipal crisis management that took over and handled the situation.
In early November, “KKL – Korona” was mobilized again and the much-discussed rule of a maximum of five people in private contexts was introduced. At that time, the director of infection control was not involved in crisis management.
NOT INCLUDED: Infection control specialist Koller Hansen was listed among “other resources coming together as needed” even as the infection broke out in early September.
Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB
BT: – She was against the 5 person rule.
Koller Løland will not respond if she is professionally involved or uncooperative in the crown measures that the municipality of Bergen has and has had.
– I am concerned that I will be allowed to give professional advice to those who are going to make the decisions, so that they have the best basis. I don’t want an opinion on measures beyond that.
But on Monday, BT writes that Koller Løland resigned on November 6, the same day the city council adopted strict infection control rules, including the five-person rule.
Councilor Roger Valhammer (Labor Party) has stated several times that the city council introduced this rule on the basis of local infection control councils. But BT has had access to emails in which Koller Løland argued that a limit of ten people is sufficient, possibly five people in addition to the usual household.
Hansen believes the infection rules would not be the same today if the head of infection control had been involved in crisis management.
– No I dont think so. The assessments of infection control professionals are among the most important assumptions, but not the only ones. Therefore, there will be a balance between good infection control and taking care of other important considerations.
CRITICAL: A mother of three, Nina Marie Holmefjord thought the ban on more than five in private homes was biased.
Photo: Adrian Nyhammer Olsen / NRK
– tired
Koller Løland denies BT that he quit his job as a direct consequence of the city council introducing the five-person rule against his professional recommendation.
But he is clear that he has not been involved as he should.
– I do not think it is possible to be an infection control doctor in a pandemic in a municipality, and not sit at level 1. It has been very tiring not to sit where I should sit. So you spend a lot of energy and energy in acquiring and providing the information you need.
Hansen believes that the position of the municipal protection chief in the organization is not “optimal”, and that now they want to take a closer look at the organization.
– It is too long a distance to the City Council department, and many of the tasks carried out by municipal chiefs belong to a different level than the one they are located at, he says.
(NRK claims that the journalist is not related to or known to the infection control superior).
