DN Debate Replies. “No, the newborns at the maternity ward are not dried with rough paper”
The Chairman of the Skåne University Hospital's hospital board, Maria Berglund, addresses concerns about changes in maternity ward practices, clarifying they do not stem from cost-cutting measures.
Maria Berglund, the Chairman of the hospital board at Skånes universitetssjukhus, has responded to concerns raised regarding the quality of care in maternity wards. She specifically counters claims that the switch to new washcloths in the neonatal unit is a result of budget cuts. Berglund emphasizes that the hospital takes the ethical concerns and pressures mentioned by the staff seriously, especially as 87 employees have expressed their worries regarding working conditions and patient safety.
In her statement, Berglund highlights the broader issues facing Swedish healthcare, indicating that these problems extend beyond just individual cost-saving efforts. The intricate balance between financial constraints, workplace environment, and medical quality is at stake, suggesting that the system in place—with its governance divided across 21 regions—has contributed to significant challenges within healthcare. This fragmentation of responsibility may lead to a setting where ethical standards and patient safety are compromised.
Berglund's address seems to be a call to action for a more cohesive approach to healthcare management in Sweden, where attention to both financial responsibility and quality of care are equally prioritized. She recognizes and validates the concerns of healthcare workers while assuring that measures will be taken to maintain the quality and safety standards expected in maternity care.