If, for example, an assistant nurse in Tingsryd municipality experiences respiratory symptoms, she must, according to guidelines from the Kronoberg Region, go to Växjö on her own to take a PCR test.

A journey of 80 km round trip, which is not paid for by the municipality which is the employer.

If the assistant nurse had received mileage compensation, it would have corresponded to just over SEK 150, according to the Swedish Tax Agency.

- We do not give compensation to our employees anywhere in the organization during sick leave, says Martin Hansson, care and welfare manager in Tingsryd municipality.

3-10 test themselves every day

He estimates that between three to ten people from Tingsryd's healthcare staff can go to Växjö to take the safe PCR test - every day.

- All residents in a municipality have the right to care and care on equal terms.

There are not equal conditions here.

The problem is that during the pandemic, we have not managed to meet the residents' care and nursing needs, says Martin Hansson.

"Should be able to happen quickly"

For those who for some reason do not have the opportunity to travel to Växjö, it is possible in exceptional cases to solve in Tingsryd, but then the analysis takes much longer.

- There are fast tracks for healthcare staff so that the tests can take place quickly and for the analyzes and infection tracking work to work well, says Martin Hansson.