Professor Hogendoorn, Minister, ladies and gentlemen,

Thank you for the warm welcome and the interesting introduction to Leiden University Medical Centre. It is a pleasure to be here.

I look forward to the presentation of the National eHealth Living Lab and especially my visit to the Willem-Alexander Children’s Hospital and understanding how this newly renovated hospital is using digital solutions to create the best possible care for children.

It’s immensely difficult when your child is ill, especially if your child is so ill that he or she has to go to hospital. When a child is ill, everyday life and a feeling of security are more important than ever.

On 30^th May, I had the great pleasure of laying the corner stone of the new Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital in Denmark – Rigshospitalet for children, young people and expecting mothers and their families. Mary Elizabeth’s Hospital will be a ground-breaking hospital in which life abounds, even in the shadow of serious illness.

Based on world-class research and with highly specialised staff, there is an ambition to offer children, teenagers and expecting mothers treatment at the very highest international level. And to do this in such a way that play, quality of life and treatment creates cohesion before, during and after their stay at the hospital.

This new hospital will be one where the individual - the person - is in the centre and where life continues to be lived – despite living with or having a serious illness. 

I look forward to learning about the approach to patient care and treatment at the Children’s Hospital here.

There are many ways to modify and design hospitals to the needs of patients, and new technology opens a wealth of opportunity for solutions, earlier generations could only dream of. 

I look very much forward to hearing about how innovative med- and health tech can contribute to this revolution in patient centred care. 

I hope the visit today will lead to further development and collaboration.

Together, The Netherlands and Denmark can build valuable partnerships and world-leading Healthtech and MedTech solutions to meet the future needs in health care.

Thank you.

(Det talte ord gælder)