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Øygard was recently appointed to the post of municipal chief physician in Bergen, and has also served as chief physician for infection control. For the last week, he’s been on welfare leave.
Health Advisor Beate Husa praises Brita Øygard for choosing to resign. Photo: Marit Hommedal / NTB
– It is demanding for an agency when there is so much attention around the management. I would like to congratulate Brita Øygard for choosing to resign to give the agency the necessary peace of mind in the demanding management of the pandemic, says Health Councilor Beate Husa (KrF) in a Bergen Municipality press release.
Anne-Lise Hornæs now serves as Director of Health Services, while Harald Hauge is Acting City Chief Physician.
Possible consultation
Øygard accepted an offer for a position at Samfunnssikkerhetens hus under the council leader department and believes that he will be able to use his experience as a specialist in community medicine and general medicine in the municipality’s emergency preparedness work.
She says in the press release that she welcomes a potential audience.
– If the city council decides that there will be a hearing, I wait for it. A hearing is a good opportunity to see the agency through the eyes of others. Full transparency on how we deal with some of society’s most critical functions is good, Øygard says.
A series of layoffs
Øygard has been acting municipal chief doctor since November 27. Former city chief physician Finn Markussen retired on October 1. The position had been vacant ever since.
He has also been acting chief physician for infection control after Karina Koller Løland resigned in November after just eight months in office. Following this, the city council has chosen to give the infection control superior a place in the municipality’s crisis management, a place that Løland never got.
On Thursday last week, Bergensavisen reported that all employees in the Bergen municipal chief physician’s office had resigned.
On Monday, news came that three-quarters of all nurses at ØHT (immediate help services) in Bergen left their jobs since the fall of 2019.
NTB has contacted the Ministry of Health and Care Services about the case. They do not want to comment and refer to the municipality of Bergen.
