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In recent weeks, there has been a storm surrounding the municipal chief and the head of infection control in Bergen. Last week the last two municipal chiefs resigned.
Before the press conference, it was also announced that acting municipal chief physician Brita Øygard is on leave.
The crisis in Bergen comes after the head of infection control, Karina Koller Løland, in late November decided to resign from her post.
The background was that she wasn’t high enough in the system to feel like she could do her job. Løland was not in crisis management in the municipality.
Health Counselor Beate Husa now announces that steps will be taken to ensure that the professional recommendations of the infection doctor are listened to when new measures are evaluated or implemented.
– I have proposed to the city council that the infection control doctor have the opportunity to report on his recommendations before the city makes a decision, says Husa.
Husa also proposes that the infection control physician be assigned to central crisis management. Councilman Roger Valhammer supports this proposal, according to Husa.
– We do this to ensure that organizational aspects do not prevent anyone from doing their job as chief infection control physician.
The health council also recognizes that the organization of the function of the municipal chief doctor has not been optimal.
She announces changes to this role as of January 1, 2021 based on the recommendations of a task force and shop stewards.
Deputy Emergency Director Anette Corydon will work as an infection control physician in Bergen this week.
Leave
The situation has led to critically low staffing in the office, where department head Brita Øygard has served as temporary municipal chief physician and chief infection control physician.
On Monday, the municipality announces that Øygard is on leave for a week. Therefore, it will not appear in today’s press release.
In an automatic reply to NRK, Øygard writes the following:
“Hello – and thank you for contacting. This week, week 50/2020, I have a social assistance license after demanding weeks for many good colleagues and for me. Finally, we see a way out of the pandemic.”
He points to Acting Director Anne-Lise Hornæs.
Three out of four nurses quit
Over the last year, three out of four nurses from the municipality’s emergency room and the immediate day care unit (ØHD) left, according to BT.
This is stated in a public response from health counselor Beate Husa to questions from conservative politician Hilde Onarheim.
Before the weekend, twelve former medical chiefs opposed the health management and what several believe to have been mismanagement at the health services agency.
County Doctor Helga Arianson cautioned that the county governor does not rule out oversight if the municipality cannot clean up the staff situation.
On Friday, health councilor Beate Husa told NRK she was aware of the problems at the agency since she became a city councilor last year.
