The Government fears health tourism if ‘paperless health care’ is provided

HealthHealth

The government fears that paperless immigrants will travel to Norway if they extend the health service so that it will be the same as for everyone else living in the country.

Paperless, illegal immigrants have no right to full, free health care as others in Norway have.

“It is unworthy that they do not ge health care in accordance with their needs and we have to compromise on our professional ethics when we somehow deny people health care,” says Svein Aarseth, at the Norwegian Medicines Council, to NRK.

A petition that has so far received 3,000 signatures asking for a change in the regulations that limit the paperless immigrants’ right to health care. However, the government is not willing to open it up for debate.

The chief’s health spokeswoman, Sveinung Stensland, says they will not open up to free health care for everyone for fear that many will come from abroad and expect same treatment.

Nor is it true that they do not receive health care. There are a number of conditions where you get help anyway, for example in case of acute illness, serious infections, mental illness and in connection with pregnancy, Stensland says.

This is refuted by Svein Aarseth. He points out that in international studies nothing indicates that there will be a flood of paperless immigrants if free universal health treatment for all is introduced.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today