New increase in infections affects health services for children and young people – VG

Erna Solberg announced Thursday that many of the health nurses who have been placed for infection screening will now return to their normal work and prioritize monitoring vulnerable groups.

VG revealed on Sunday that 234 municipalities put health nurses to work with infection work in March and April.

This fall the same thing will happen again in several places.

On Friday, the municipality of Hamar sent this message to all the parents of the schools:

“All agreements with the school health nurse will be postponed until further notice.”

In the report, the municipality indicated that the employees of the school health service will be redefined for the detection of infections. The reason is an increase in contagion cases in the municipality.

– The municipality is now in an extraordinary situation. It is demanding infection detection work that needs to be done and while we also use other resources, we have to use health nurses who are the best at infection detection, says City Director Christl Kvam in Hamar.

The municipality of Hamar has 203 verified cases of infection and around 1,200 people are in quarantine in the region.

Door closed

Many parents in Hamar react to the municipality by turning once again to the school health service when they have to solve corona problems:

– The supply in school health service was already too low before the pandemic, and now that the supply is completely disappearing, it is precarious for vulnerable children. It seems that it is too easy to eliminate the offer for the little ones who cannot speak for themselves, says Mette Østby, leader of the FAU, at the Prestrud primary school in Hamar to VG.

– The school health service must be present where the children are. It’s a big step to tell an adult about something difficult, so they shouldn’t be faced with a closed door, Østby says.

The municipal director says Hamar does a lot of other things to follow up with vulnerable children.

– I understand that many parents want an open door at school, but we do not have the capacity for health nurses to sit in the office and wait for someone to come, says Christl Kvam.

– Is it a question of resources?

– It’s not about money, but there are no additional 10 health nurses that we can dial to do this job here and now.

Solberg: Don’t take child and youth health nurses

Last week, Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) participated in Dagsnytt 18 at NRK. The topic of debate was the government’s new crown measures. Here he talked about how vulnerable groups should be protected:

“Since April, we have been clear in our message to municipalities: do not take the child and youth health nurses out and transfer them to work with infections and tests,” Solberg said.

The same is the message of the Minister of Health Bent Høie (H) and the Minister of Children and Family Affairs Kjell Ingolf Ropstad (Krf).

– A clear message has been conveyed that school health service employees and health posts will not be reassigned to sampling. I hope municipalities follow this, Høie told NRK in August.

– As a general rule, health nurses working at health stations and school health services should not be reassigned to work with infection testing and tracking, Ropstad said Tuesday.

On the same day, the Norwegian Health Directorate sent updated recommendations and guidelines to all municipalities. Here they make it clear that a normal health service for pregnant women, children and young people must be maintained.

In the event of an infection outbreak that requires a temporary closure, municipalities should consider whether the closure is “Necessary, proportionate and medically justified.”

Important shoots

Several municipalities say it is necessary to turn to health nurses this fall.

In Sarpsborg, five health nurses have worked a 20% job as infection markers from mid-August to the end of October. The reason is the increase in corona infection in late summer, the municipality declared in October.

The municipality of Våler in Solør is currently experiencing a strong corona outbreak and on Monday decided to reassign the three health nurses in the municipality to corona and infection detection tasks.

– At the moment we have no other choice, but we hope that they will return to normal operation as soon as possible, says Councilor Asgeir Rustad.

In Råde municipality, a health nurse has been reassigned from primary school to corona phone since September. The health director says that the municipality has mobilized other resources to make an offer to the students and that the measure is under evaluation.

In the municipality of Alta, the school health nurses and the health station were vaccinated against influenza three days last week.

The municipal director of Hamar would like municipalities to receive more help from the government to convey that the pandemic goes beyond the supply of services.

– I want the government to help us better manage expectations. We cannot meet the normal level in a crisis situation, says Christl Kvam.

Ropstad: Difficult situation

The Minister of Children and Families, Kjell Ingolf Ropstad, told VG that municipalities must do everything possible to keep open services that affect vulnerable children and young people.

– We have committed to compensate municipalities for additional expenses and lower income as a result of the crown crisis. We support that. Thus, municipalities can hire additional staff and protect health nurses, he writes.

– Hamar says that “it is not about money, but there are not 10 additional health nurses that we can register to do this job here and now.”

– It is not necessary to be a health nurse to perform TISK tasks (testing, isolation, infection detection and quarantine from editor’s note). Others can be used to detect infections, responds Ropstad.

– The municipal director of Hamar should wish that the municipalities receive more help from the government to convey that the pandemic goes beyond the supply of services.

– I understand that this is a difficult situation. However, we must do everything possible to keep services open, even in the face of increased infection, writes Ropstad.

High: The municipalities that decide

Health Minister Bent Høie tells VG that he is under the impression that most municipalities have used more for infection detection, thus avoiding the use of health nurses.

– Both you and the Prime Minister have sent a clear message that this will not happen. However, it will happen in several municipalities this fall. Has the message not been heard?

– I think we are perceived in most places, but it is conceivable that some municipalities choose to use health nurses anyway. Ultimately, it is the municipalities that decide this, says Høie.

– Can’t the government order municipalities not to use health nurses?

– No, we have already gone beyond the usual by being so clear and sending a circular on how the municipality should use its own staff.

– But what will the government do to ensure that this is followed up?

– We must be clear. If we were to go further now, we would have to say that it is forbidden. But then we would end up in a situation where the municipalities could not use all the resources when there is a real need of every man for the pumps. It does not work.