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Squeezing Blood From A Turnip: Iceland’s Universal Healthcare At Risk
In a small and private ceremony in a chapel in Fossvogur, around 30 friends and family members are present to pay their respects to 50-year-old Rósa Mikaelsdóttir, a single mother of three who passed away on November 17. Rósa had struggled with…
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May Day Mayday: Iceland’s Ongoing Doctor Strike
Following a round of unsuccessful negotiations, doctors in Iceland commenced their first ever strike in late October. In the wake of the banking crisis, so as to share the burden, doctors not only accepted a 5% wage cut, but also ceased seeking…
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Iceland’s University Hospital: The Director Speaks
Throughout the whole healthcare debacle, one man has consistently remained focused on the big picture: the National University Hospital of Iceland (LSH) director Dr. Páll Matthíasson, PhD. Educated as a psychiatrist, Páll worked in London, England, from 1997-2007 before returning to Iceland,…
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Down To The Bone: The Healthcare System, Post-Austerity
Following the economic collapse of 2008, the Icelandic State’s debts skyrocketed, reaching 126% of the country’s GDP in 2011. At the same time, State revenue sources ground to a halt, and property devalued. The consumer price index shows price levels on consumer…
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Prescribing Trouble: Iceland’s Social Insurance Explained
Prescription drugs used to be either completely, partially or not at all covered by the insurance system, sometimes arbitrarily. On May 4, 2013, a new system was implemented, which was meant to be simpler and more just than the old one. The…
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Iceland’s Healthcare System: How Does It Work?
Iceland maintains a universal healthcare system, under which all legal residents are covered by the Icelandic social insurance system. All hospital admissions are paid for by this system, as is the majority of the cost of outpatient appointments. There is a token…
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Post-Leak Hangover
Infamously, on November 20th, 2013, Fréttablaðið and mbl.is published news based on confidential information collected within the Ministry of the Interior. November 21st, 2013, DV points this out, and asks: who leaked an internal ministry document about an asylum seeker as it…
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FM BELFAST ARE BACK AND TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS!
Words by Rebecca Louder / Photos by Alísa Kalyanova / Photoshoot wardrobe courtesy of Kormákur & Skjöldur Last Airwaves, there was a gaping hole in the lineup of Icelandic bands that didn’t ruin the festival (not by far!) but it sure felt weird…