Stockholm – Ma’an – The Swedish government rejected the European Commission’s request to receive patients and wounded from the Gaza Strip, despite the availability of treatment facilities for them in Sweden.
On May 15, the government, along with the rest of the EU member states, received a letter from the European Commission requesting assistance in medical evacuations from Gaza.
But the Swedish government decided to reject the European request, unlike other countries such as Norway, which agreed to receive 20 patients from Gaza.
Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm said it had the capacity to receive patients from Gaza, and Aleris said it had vacancies that could be filled immediately.
“The cost will be high for a very small number of patients,” said Health Minister Aku Ankarberg Johansson.
Connie Matyssen, business manager and specialist nurse at Aleris, confirmed that they have the capacity to receive additional patients from Gaza, without affecting the care of existing patients from Ukraine.
She explained that Alleris had sent a letter to Minister Johansson at the end of May, expressing its readiness to receive patients from Gaza. However, the response came on July 19, stating that the Swedish government is constantly following up on the incoming requests and is assessing how best to provide Swedish support, including the possibility of receiving patients.
Speaking to DN, the minister stressed that Sweden is one of the largest contributors to humanitarian support for Gaza, having provided an additional SEK 520 million in aid since October 7, 2023. This support includes the provision of food and healthcare, including emergency maternity care and care for premature babies.
When asked why patients were refused despite the available capacity, the minister replied that ‘the costs of receiving a small number of patients are very high, and Sweden prefers to use its resources to provide aid that reaches a larger number of people.’
She pointed out the difficulty of carrying out evacuations from Gaza, s
tressing that Sweden provides significant medical support in areas adjacent to Gaza in response to the increasing demands there. She added that sending medical expertise and equipment to the region may be more effective than carrying out complex medical evacuations of a small number of patients.
Source: Maan News Agency