Reorganization of perinatal care in Greenland

September 2000 the planning of a major reform of health services was launched aimed at improving perinatal care and decreasing perinatal mortality and morbidity. The activities became effective from January 2002.

A new organization plan was developed, a special medical record was designed for perinatal care and training programs for health workers in perinatal care were instituted, including basic ultrasound scan for gestational age. Professional guidelines for perinatal care were distributed countrywide, stipulating that at risk pregnancies should be referred for delivery to Queen Ingrid's Hospital, as well as offering treatment suggestions for various complications.

There was a marked improvement in the referral rate for at risk pregnancies and consequently a sharp rise in the share of at risk patients in Queen Ingrid's Hospital, calling for extra resources to be allocated. However, the rate for instrumental deliveries remained low at the special unit at the same time as the rural health care centres were relieved of the burden of high-risk deliveries.

Transferring women for delivery, in many cases leaving their families for a substantial amount of time, undoubtedly has psychosocial implications. Will the impact of the programme on perinatal mortality and morbidity make up for these costs? Will we be able to reduce the rate of instrumental deliveries in the rural health care centres as well as the number of acute--and very costly--evacuations of patients by chartered aircraft? The questions are many--we hope to provide some answers.