Debate, Palliation | Hospice Sangen must survive

We are facing a decisive time for Hospice Sangen in Hamar, a unique palliative care service that has served the region with care and dignity for 20 years. Now, in the anniversary year, Lovisenberg Diakonale Sykehus (LDS) announces a reorganization that threatens the existence of this vital institution. The decision to waive operational responsibility is based on a strategic investment in the Oslo area, without regard for the patients and relatives who have depended on Sangen’s services.

Hospice Sangen is more than a treatment offer; it is a home for those nearing the end of life. Here people meet in their most vulnerable phase with extensive support ranging from medical treatment to spiritual comfort, which is in line with the Storting’s report recommendations on palliative treatment and dignity in the last phase of life.

The patients at Sangen come from a densely populated area around Mjøsa, and they live with diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular problems and neurological disorders. These patients, together with their relatives, have benefited from an offer that is integrated into the fabric of society in a way that few other institutions can boast. The offer at Sangen has been surprisingly cost-effective, with an annual budget that has always been in balance, which is rare in today’s health Norway. Hamar Sanitetsforening has even made its large property available free of charge for the Hospice’s purpose.

By closing the doors to Sangen, you will not only deprive the patients of a necessary service, but also impose greater long-term costs on society. Today’s healthcare services for the seriously ill are fragmented and rarely provide continuity or predictability. Hospice Sangen has offered a counterweight to this, by giving the patients and their families a firm point of reference.

The debate surrounding Sangen’s future is also a debate about which values ​​we want to prioritize in our society. Do we really stand behind the humanistic values ​​of care, dignity and respect that our governing documents prescribe, or are we willing to let economic considerations weigh more heavily?

It is high time that political decision-makers, both locally and nationally, see the seriousness of the situation and find solutions that can preserve this essential service. Hospice Sangen has not only been a pioneer in palliative care, but also a symbol of society’s ability to care for its most vulnerable. Closing Sangen would be a big step back for patient care in Norway and a victory for a short-sighted economic mindset that undermines our collective values.

As it was stated in a message to the Storting: “We will all die one day. But every other day we shall live.” Hospice Sangen has helped many to live these days with as much quality of life as possible. Let’s not take this opportunity away from them. Let us instead ensure that the Song, and its values, live on for the good of those who come after us.