Sweden: County offers expensive circumcision services

Sweden: County offers expensive circumcision services

In early June the Västmanland county council decided that health services in Västmanland will offer circumcision for boys for non-medical reasons. This was after a recommendation from the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions.

The county council proposes that the fee to have a boy circumcised will be 4,000 kroner.

Most of the boys who are circumcised are Muslim, but the imam Mahmut Ongun of Västerås thinks that 4,000 kroner is too much.

Mahmut Ongun appreciates that the Västmanland county council now offers circumcision of boys in order to reduce so-called "kitchen table surgery", but he points out that it would be cheaper to perform the operation in a private clinic outside Stockholm, and even cheaper to do it abroad.

Västmanland county council is taking 4,000 kroner since the operation will be done under general anesthesia for children above three. Other counties chose to perform the operation on small children with local anesthesia, and therefore the price is lower.

Imam Machmut Ongun also thinks that few people will choose Västmanland county council.

County commissioner Birgitta Andersson also sees a risk that many will choose other alternatives.

Source: SR (Swedish)

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