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The agency’s director, Brita Øygard, assumed the role of temporary head of infection control and municipal chief physician in Bergen. Now she is the last one left in the office. Photo: Håkon Vold
The last two employees of the Bergen municipal chief physician’s office have already left. – Serious situation, says city council politician Mikkel Grüner (SV).
The acting director of the health services agency, Anne-Lise Hornæs, confirms to VG that the last two employees have resigned.
Bergensavisen was the first to cover the case.
Just two weeks ago, the chief doctor of infection control, Karina Koller Løland, resigned after eight months.
– During the pandemic, I have never been placed in a place in the organization that allows me to do my job efficiently. It has been a challenge, and then it is difficult to have overall professional responsibility for infection control in the Bergen municipality, Løland told BA at the time.
Brita Øygard, who is basically the director of the agency, temporarily assumed the position of municipal chief physician for three months. This was pending that the municipality hired a new municipal chief physician.
After the last two employees left, she is now the last one in the office.
VG tried to get comments from Brita Øygard on Thursday afternoon. In an SMS to VG, he writes that he does not have the opportunity to reply to the media on Thursday.
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Bergen’s director of infection control resigns
From what VG understands, one of the doctors was hired a few weeks ago, while the last doctor to quit must have been employed since 2018.
Former city chief physician Finn Markussen tells VG that there has long been dissatisfaction with how little influence the city chief physician has had.
– We believe that we are not used well enough and we speak well enough. That sentiment has increased during the pandemic, then it has been surprising. That you’ve been busy isn’t the main reason someone quits now, Markussen tells VG.
Recommend an audience in the municipality
City council politician Mikkel Grüner (SV) tells VG that this is serious.
– This shows that it is a serious situation. There is broad political agreement that a consultation on the management of the pandemic by the municipality is necessary as soon as practically possible, he says.
– What consequences could this have for infection management in Bergen?
– It will be a medical evaluation in which I cannot enter. But it goes without saying that this is not good. In any case, city dwellers must get the services to which they are entitled, says Grüner.
He says the layoffs in recent weeks reveal a situation that has not been good in a long time.
– Obviously, there have been challenges over time, which have been exacerbated by the fact that employees have found themselves under pressure during the pandemic. We see that the employees of the municipality, those who work in the front line service, are under strong pressure, says Grüner.
Harald Victor Hove (H) in the Bergen city hall calls the news “dramatic”.
– We must quickly find out what effect this has on the city’s ability to handle the pandemic and monitor the vaccination plan. This is in addition to a slightly confusing handling of the pandemic by the city council, he says.
He says there have long been signs of dissatisfaction among the municipal chief’s employees.
– You don’t have to be a brain researcher to see that you are dealing with an organization. There have been rumors over time about how professional discussions have been handled, whether it has been possible to raise professional disagreements, says Hove.
