Danish gov't unveils plan for healthcare improvement

The Danish government will prioritize a further 15 billion Danish kroner (2.25 billion U.S. dollars) over the next five years to improve healthcare and create a better old age for the elderly, Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt said here on Wednesday.

"Everyone knows that we need extra funds for hospital drugs, chronic patients and new cancer treatments," Thorning-Schmidt said at a joint press conference with Danish Minister for Economic and Interior Affairs Morten Oestergaard, presenting the plan.

Cancer treatment in Denmark must be able to measure up to the best countries in the world, and there must be many more cancer patients who survive their disease, according to the plan with the titled of "Investing in our common health."

According to the plan, three out of four cancer patients in 2025 must be alive five years after diagnosis.

As such, the government will allocate additional funds for new cancer drugs, increase hospital capacity to treat cancer and recruit doctors in charge of the sickest patients from 2016 onwards to ensure that the objective is met.

The government will take new steps such as new funding to increase the capacity of medical and geriatric hospital wards and strengthened regional and municipal cooperation, to ensure better care and treatment to the growing number of elderly and people with chronic diseases.

Besides, it will continue to offer the public new drugs and treatments and improve the quality of health care.

This means fewer bureaucratic process requirements and more focus on concrete goals and results that make sense for patients, families and staff, Oestergaard explained.

Denmark's ruling coalition continues to roll out its proposals as a general election has been announced for June 18, 2015. (1 U.S. dollar = 6.769 Danish kroner) Endit