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The Norwegian Institute of Public Health believes that we will most likely be affected by local outbreaks during the fall and winter. We have recently seen examples of this in Indre Østfold, in Oslo and in Hurtigruten. In such situations, the work of the municipalities is crucial.
During a meeting of the Emergency Preparedness Committee on August 19, emergency preparedness in municipalities was an important topic. Kristin Cordt-Hansen, Deputy Director of the Directorate of Civil Protection and Emergency Planning (DSB), presented the preliminary results of an ongoing evaluation.
In the minutes of the meeting, to which Dagbladet has had access, Cordt-Hansen is quoted as saying that some of the learning points “should lead to changes already now in individual offices and at the management level.” Dagbladet has faced health director Bjørn Guldvog with several of the points made by Cordt-Hansen.
– I am quite sure that the municipalities in Norway have thought about how to deal with an outbreak and that they are now better equipped than some time ago. But of course I can’t guarantee that everything will work out the way we want, says Guldvog.
The evaluations
First, Cordt-Hansen cautioned that resource challenges have been identified in municipalities. “Municipalities are not dimensioned for long-term crisis management, nor to be in a contingency situation for a long time. It is the finances, the personnel and the infection control teams that are reported as the most demanding for the municipalities ”, it is written in the minutes of the meeting.
– It is quite real that municipalities have resource challenges and we may have very high demands on them. They must be able to handle all the patients they have in everyday life well, at the same time that they must do this job. It is clear that it is very demanding, says Guldvog and continues:
– It is also possible to train personnel other than health personnel to perform tasks such as testing and monitoring of infections. We now have a web course for this.
Vaccine against fear stops working
Staff and resources
«… Challenging to stay prepared and at the same time take care of p. Eg residents of weak homes. Few municipalities have specified how they prioritize services for vulnerable groups ”, is written in the minutes of the meeting.
– This is a very important theme. We often talk about how to deal with a crisis over a long period of time while maintaining important functions. It is a very, very important task to have good crisis plans in the municipalities, says Guldvog.
On Thursday, municipal chief doctor Bettina C. Fossberg in Lillestrøm municipality told Dagbladet that it is important that municipalities plan for a rapid increase and decrease in staff. She advised smaller municipalities to talk about this interm negot.
– It will probably be important for municipalities to interact with each other across municipal boundaries, because in small municipalities it can be difficult to have enough competence and staff for all the functions that are needed now, says Guldvog.
Warns against double disease
Economy
In Norway, our goal is to be able to test five percent of the population per week for a new peak of national infection. With less spread of the infection, the goal is to be able to test 1.5 percent of the population.
Before the summer, the city of Oslo calculated that work with testing and tracking infections in the municipality could cost up to NOK 1.6 billion in 2020 if there is a new peak of infection.
One of Cordt-Hansen’s points is also on municipal finances: “It has been reported that there is very little attention to unforeseen financial expenses – it may have an impact on the supply of general services in municipalities.”
– The government has said that those who have extraordinary costs will cover them. But I understand that this is difficult for municipalities. Testing and infection tracking means we can keep the wheels of society rolling, and we’ll benefit from this even if the costs of testing and infection tracking are high and demanding on the personnel performing the tasks, says Guldvog. .
– Is there a promise that the state will contribute financially in situations of extraordinary outbreaks?
– Now it is the case that I do not have the state checkbook. But it is clearly communicated that if you have extraordinary expenses on this, you should not wait to implement measures. The necessary measures that I hope will be covered in the full agreement.
Infection control team
Cordt-Hansen’s next point concerns infection control equipment: “Acquiring sufficient infection control equipment in outbreak situations has been a major challenge, even in municipalities where the population is low. This will be particularly relevant if the outbreak occurs in an institution, such as a nursing home ”, it is indicated in the minutes of the meeting.
– We believe that the municipalities today have enough infection control equipment. They can also get more equipment available if needed. Now the national stocks are quite large, so municipalities could get more if needed, says Guldvog.
Cordt-Hansen is also concerned about the burden on the country’s many municipal chief doctors: “The municipal doctor is a critical resource. It has proven to be of vital importance during the pandemic and is rarely scaled for long-term crisis management.
– The municipal chiefs have stretched out fantastically and have done an absolutely formidable job. And I think the population may not know how much work has been done in these municipalities. But we cannot lower these tasks, as they will have very important consequences for our country, says Guldvog.
– Spinngæren
Priority
Prime Minister Erna Solberg tells Dagbladet that developing preparedness to handle local outbreaks is a top priority for the Norwegian Health Directorate.
– The Norwegian Health Directorate has worked with municipalities since before the first case of covid-19 in Norway. They have investigated who has updated the infection control plans and have helped municipalities update them. We have also established an infection tracking team in Norway to help with major outbreaks in challenged municipalities, Solberg tells Dagbladet and continues:
– A major priority in the Norwegian Health Directorate is to develop preparedness to handle an outbreak situation through county and municipal governors.
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