It has long been foreseeable that Landspítali’s housing situation would become unsustainable. Construction will need to continue over a longer period, possibly even after the new hospital is operational, due to major societal changes in recent years.
This is among what Runólfur Pálsson, CEO of Landspítali, says in an interview with mbl.is, following a new report by the National Audit Office, which highlighted extensive delays in the construction of the new Landspítali.
“We have very inadequate and insufficient facilities, especially for outpatient and day-patient services. That needs to be addressed.”
“It took far too long to get this project started”
When asked why the construction of the new hospital has taken so long, Pálsson explains that progress was slow from the outset, ever since the decision was made to build a new hospital. Since he assumed the role of CEO, however, the construction has proceeded very well—“the delays happened earlier.”
It has been reported that construction began six years ago and that the new treatment center was originally expected to open in 2023. As of December, the new target is for construction to be completed by the end of 2028, with full operations expected 1.5 to 2 years later, around 2029–2030.
“There have been delays, but aside from that, it took far too long to get this project off the ground. It’s been foreseeable for a long time that we were heading toward a housing crisis at the hospital,” Pálsson says.
“To deliver the quality of service we expect”
Asked whether the hospital is already too small, considering the population growth since it was supposed to open, Pálsson responds:
“This development, as I see it, needs to continue for a long time. The treatment center and research building, which are expected to be operational around 2029, will take time to be fully utilized—and we need far more facilities than that.
We currently have very inadequate facilities, particularly for outpatient and day-patient services. That needs to be addressed.”
He adds that a new building for psychiatric services has also been under discussion and that more inpatient beds are needed.
“But it’s absolutely true that, on top of everything else, there have been significant societal changes over the last five, six, seven years, with a major increase in population, and demand for hospital services has risen accordingly.
So it’s absolutely right that we need to take a long-term view and ensure sufficient infrastructure to provide the level of healthcare quality that we, as a society, expect.”
Source: Mbl.is
