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The Independent UK
The Independent UK
National
Kirsten Grieshaber,Konstantin Toropin and Devi Shastri

Does Greenland really need Trump’s hospital ship?

  • Donald Trump announced plans to send a "great hospital boat" to Greenland, alleging widespread sickness and inadequate care, despite both US Navy hospital ships currently undergoing maintenance.
  • Greenland's Prime Minister, Jens-Frederik Nielsen, defended the territory's free public healthcare system, emphasising it as a fundamental societal choice and contrasting it with the US model.
  • Contrary to Trump's assertions, there have been no reports of major illnesses in Greenland, where citizens receive free healthcare services, including hospital treatment and prescription medicines.
  • Although Greenland faces public health challenges and some remote areas have difficult access, the territory utilises telemedicine and transports complex cases to Denmark, with life expectancy having significantly increased.
  • Meanwhile, rural areas in the United States, including Louisiana, experience substantial healthcare access issues, drawing a contrast with Trump's focus on Greenland.

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