Review of the Akureyri Hospital a parliamentary resolution on the permanent base of the Coast Guard's helicopter in Akureyri

The following review was submitted:

The executive board of the Akureyri Hospital welcomes the proposal for a parliamentary resolution on the permanent base of the Coast Guard's helicopter in Akureyri and wholeheartedly supports it. It is not wise to put all the eggs in the same basket in light of the situation regarding weather or other hazards. The experience this summer showed the importance of having more establishments than just in the capital area. The executive board of the Akureyri Hospital therefore believes it is important to establish a second permanent base in Akureyri. It would strengthen the response capacity in a large area and strengthen services to the country's residents even better, which is a major security issue.

In Akureyri, there is all the necessary infrastructure to service a permanent base, and in SAk there is a great deal of specialist capacity, e.g. in light of the hospital's experience with air ambulance medical services over the past two decades. There are also great opportunities for synergy regarding staffing and the expertise that SAk's staff possesses.

The executive board believes the hospital is well equipped to receive patients from challenging situations. SAk is LSH's reserve hospital according to the law, and if this becomes a reality, SAk's role will be strengthened even more. Furthermore, the location of a helicopter in Akureyri will have a great and positive effect on possible services to the surrounding area, e.g. other health institutions and LSH.

The Executive Board of SAk hopes that this proposal will be well received in Althingi, to everyone's benefit.

The parliamentary document can be downloaded from Alþingi's website here (Icelandic only).