Municipality wants to cancel controversial agreement with Naalakkersuisut

Back in May 2020, Avannaata Municipality entered into a cooperation agreement with Naalakkersuisut, which was to improve public services for the citizens of Qaanaaq.

Now almost six years later, the municipal council of Avannaata Municipality has decided at a meeting on March 27 that the agreement should be cancelled.

In a presentation to politicians, the municipality's administration states that the agreement has developed in a different direction than was originally intended.

Insecurity and expenses

The agreement was supposed to improve service to citizens through close cooperation between the health service in Qaanaaq and the retirement home in the city. However, the agreement has ended up being a burden for the employees at the retirement home in Qaanaaq, according to the administration:

"As a result of the agreement not being complied with, the employees at the retirement home in Qaanaaq have been burdened with caring for sick citizens in addition to their other tasks," writes the municipality's administration and continues:

"This has led to insecurity among employees and management, and at the same time, the municipality has in practice had to bear all expenses alone, including expenses for personnel, catering and other operational matters."

According to the administration, both the relevant department in the self-government and the health service in Qaanaaq have been repeatedly made aware of the problems, without it being possible to find solutions, and therefore the administration recommends that the agreement be terminated, where the municipal council has approved.

Elderly spokesperson demanded the agreement be terminated

Back in February 2023, the collaboration was subjected to particularly harsh criticism by the then elderly spokesperson Inga Egede, who believed that the agreement should be terminated immediately.

She considered that it was a great disadvantage for both residents and employees that the retirement home in Qaanaaq is in practice used as a hospital for the health service as a result of the agreement.

At the time, then-mayor Palle Jerimiassen confirmed that the agreement had led to insecurity among the employees at the retirement home, partly because they had not yet received any upskilling or further training after the retirement home also began to function as a hospital.

The mayor said at the time that he would take up the matter with the Government of Greenland.