Alcohol treatment centre shuts down for the summer

Heilbrigdi will be closed for six weeks this summer due to limited funding and a general lack of resources.

Centre leader Sjúrður Knudsen says the centre is committed to providing a full service throughout the year. 

However, since the annual appropriation does not cover comprehensive year-round treatment services, the management decided to shut down the centre now so they could provide a full service throughout the rest of the year, including holidays such as Christmas and Easter.

“We are required by law to have doctors and nurses available round the clock, and we simply cannot afford to provide this service throughout the year,” he says.

Holiday disruptions kept to a minimum

Heilbrigdi has worked in close collaboration with the Blákrossheimið rehabilitation centre in Tórshavn for a number of years. 

The two centres have been coordinating their holidays in an effort to minimise these holiday disruptions.

“This has worked well, but there is an inevitable 1-2 week holiday overlap. This is of course not ideal, but with our current appropriation it is the best we can do,” says Knudsen.

Translated by prosa.fo