Greenland does not need medical help from other countries, Denmark’s defence minister said on Sunday after US president Donald Trump claimed he was sending a hospital ship to the autonomous Danish territory.
Speaking to Danish broadcaster DR, defence minister Troels Lund Poulsen said, "The Greenlandic population receives the healthcare it needs. They receive it either in Greenland, or, if they require specialised treatment, they receive it in Denmark. So it's not as if there's a need for a special healthcare initiative in Greenland."
Healthcare is free in both Greenland and Denmark. The Arctic island has five regional hospitals. The hospital in Nuuk treats patients from across the territory, according to news agency AFP.
Earlier this month, Greenland’s local government signed an agreement with Copenhagen to improve the treatment of Greenlandic patients in Danish hospitals.
On Saturday, Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, "We are going to send a great hospital boat to Greenland to take care of the many people who are sick, and not being taken care of there". He added, "It's on the way!!!"
Trump has earlier said the US must control Greenland for security reasons. However, he has stepped back from earlier threats to seize it after striking a "framework" deal with Mark Rutte, secretary general of Nato, aimed at ensuring greater US influence.
