Today in Denmark: A roundup of the news on Friday
Health ministry pushes hospitals on waiting times, 1000-krone note can be rejected for small purchases, organisation calls for foreign labour to cover military service deficit and more news from Denmark on Friday.
Health minister wants reports on hospital waiting times
The Minister of Health, Sophie Løhde, has asked regional health authorities to report back on their current situations with waiting lists.
Løhde says that it is taking too long for hospitals to reduce waiting times and therefore wants to know what health authorities are doing to meet targets.
The government and Danske Regioner, the national body for the regional health boards, last year agreed a two-billion kroner “acute” funding plan which included a pledge to cut waiting times by 33 percent by the end of 2024.
Vocabulary: ventetider – waiting times
Stores to be permitted to reject 1000-krone note for small purchases
Stores are to be permitted to reject the 1000-krone note in payment when customers hand over cash worth 500 kroner more than the total cost of their purchase, the Business Ministry said yesterday in a statement.
The 1000-krone bill will cease to be legal tender in Denmark from May 21st 2025, the central bank, Nationalbanken, announced last year.
But the announcement has led to a higher than usual number of people using the notes to pay for smaller purchases, according to the ministry.
“The phasing out of the 1000-krone note must happen in the best way possible. I’ve heard examples of customers buying a packet of chewing gum and paying with a 1000-krone note,” Business Minister Morten Bødskov said in the statement.
A proposal to be tabled next month will “help shops without denying Danes the possibility of using their cash,” he said.
Vocabulary: tyggegummi – chewing gum
Organisation says foreign labour could be drafted to cover extended military service
If the government goes through with a plan to extend military service and include women, reforms will be needed on the labour market, according to the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI).
The labour pool available to Danish business will shrink by 2,100 due to the higher number of conscripted young Danes, the organisation has calculated.
“We support the Danish military being strengthened. But we are pointing out that it will mean we are short of staff in private businesses,” DI’s head of labour market policy Steen Nielsen told news wire Ritzau.
“It’s therefore very important that the government has a focus on increasing the labour pool. Because there is already a shortage of workers,” he added.
That would include new initiatives to attract labour from abroad, DI has suggested.
Vocabulary: at udvide – to extend
Copenhagen Zoo shows off baby elephant
Copenhagen Zoo has released images of baby elephant Chin, who was born at the zoo three weeks ago.
Chin ventured outside on Thursday afternoon, her first outing since she was born, the zoo said in a press release.
It was also the first time the adult elephants have been outside in a while, as the animals are kept inside in a warmer environment when the weather is cold.
“It went exactly as we’d hoped. They hurried outside the moment the doors were opened and little Chin followed without any problems,” zookeeper Frederik Eckstrøm Jensen said in the statement.
“She’s a very curious little elephant and it was clear to see the other elephants were looking after her,” he said.
Vocabulary: udendørs – outdoors
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Health minister wants reports on hospital waiting times
The Minister of Health, Sophie Løhde, has asked regional health authorities to report back on their current situations with waiting lists.
Løhde says that it is taking too long for hospitals to reduce waiting times and therefore wants to know what health authorities are doing to meet targets.
The government and Danske Regioner, the national body for the regional health boards, last year agreed a two-billion kroner “acute” funding plan which included a pledge to cut waiting times by 33 percent by the end of 2024.
Vocabulary: ventetider – waiting times
Stores to be permitted to reject 1000-krone note for small purchases
Stores are to be permitted to reject the 1000-krone note in payment when customers hand over cash worth 500 kroner more than the total cost of their purchase, the Business Ministry said yesterday in a statement.
The 1000-krone bill will cease to be legal tender in Denmark from May 21st 2025, the central bank, Nationalbanken, announced last year.
But the announcement has led to a higher than usual number of people using the notes to pay for smaller purchases, according to the ministry.
“The phasing out of the 1000-krone note must happen in the best way possible. I’ve heard examples of customers buying a packet of chewing gum and paying with a 1000-krone note,” Business Minister Morten Bødskov said in the statement.
A proposal to be tabled next month will “help shops without denying Danes the possibility of using their cash,” he said.
Vocabulary: tyggegummi – chewing gum
Organisation says foreign labour could be drafted to cover extended military service
If the government goes through with a plan to extend military service and include women, reforms will be needed on the labour market, according to the Confederation of Danish Industry (DI).
The labour pool available to Danish business will shrink by 2,100 due to the higher number of conscripted young Danes, the organisation has calculated.
“We support the Danish military being strengthened. But we are pointing out that it will mean we are short of staff in private businesses,” DI’s head of labour market policy Steen Nielsen told news wire Ritzau.
“It’s therefore very important that the government has a focus on increasing the labour pool. Because there is already a shortage of workers,” he added.
That would include new initiatives to attract labour from abroad, DI has suggested.
Vocabulary: at udvide – to extend
Copenhagen Zoo shows off baby elephant
Copenhagen Zoo has released images of baby elephant Chin, who was born at the zoo three weeks ago.
Chin ventured outside on Thursday afternoon, her first outing since she was born, the zoo said in a press release.
It was also the first time the adult elephants have been outside in a while, as the animals are kept inside in a warmer environment when the weather is cold.
“It went exactly as we’d hoped. They hurried outside the moment the doors were opened and little Chin followed without any problems,” zookeeper Frederik Eckstrøm Jensen said in the statement.
“She’s a very curious little elephant and it was clear to see the other elephants were looking after her,” he said.
Vocabulary: udendørs – outdoors
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