After years of political threats to close an important hospital in Northern Sweden, and after years of severe protests against it, the politicians of the health care region of Skellefteå have decided to close the city’s fully functional hospital for the general public, and downgrade it to a care centre for the elderly only.
On 5 May 2025, the decision was finally made against the interest of most of the more than 77,000 inhabitants of Skellefteå. Once the closure is complete, with no set official date yet, the nearest medical emergency room is 100 kilometres (62 miles) away – in Örnsköldsvik – with the bigger hospital of Sundsvall a mere 120 kilometres (75 miles) away.
Cut of 146 jobs
The downsizing of the Skellefteå hospital, a budget cut by the regional authorities that are responsible for the health care, will include the loss of 146 full-time jobs. The actual number of people losing their livelihood is likely to be around 220 to 250, as some jobs are likely filled by part-timers. | © 2025 Marcel Burger, nordicreporter.com