Copenhagen, 23 February (HS): Denmark and the autonomous territory of Greenland on Sunday rejected a proposal by US President Donald Trump to send a naval hospital ship to the Arctic island.
Trump had said a day earlier that he was dispatching “a great hospital boat to Greenland” to assist people who were “sick and not being taken care of there.” He shared an AI-generated image of the US Navy medical vessel USNS Mercy on social media, adding that it was “on the way.”
Greenland’s Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen dismissed the proposal, stating on social media that the territory has a public healthcare system where treatment is free for citizens. He said there was no requirement for such an initiative. Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen also said Greenlanders receive necessary healthcare either locally or, when specialised treatment is required, in Denmark.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, without directly referring to the proposal, reiterated that Denmark ensures free and equal access to healthcare for all citizens. Greenland, like Denmark, provides public healthcare without charge. The island has five regional hospitals, with the main facility in Nuuk serving patients from across the territory.
The development comes amid broader US interest in Greenland. Trump indicated the potential deployment was being coordinated with the US Special Envoy to the Arctic island. However, it remained unclear whether a naval vessel had been formally assigned for deployment.
Separately, Danish authorities confirmed that a crew member of a US submarine was recently evacuated near Nuuk following a medical emergency and transported to a hospital in the capital.
Greenland’s representative in the Danish Parliament, Aaja Chemnitz, said while the island’s health system faces challenges, improvements are being pursued through cooperation with Denmark. Earlier this month, Greenland signed an agreement with Copenhagen to enhance treatment access for Greenlandic patients in Danish hospitals. Denmark’s central bank has also noted fiscal pressures in Greenland linked to demographic changes, including an ageing population and a shrinking workforce.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
