The renowned American medical practice Mayo Clinic and Icelandic company Salt Investments, owned by former CEO of Actavis Róbert Wessman, are about to reach an agreement on sending patients from the US to Iceland for treatment.
Róbert Wessman. Photo by Geir Ólafsson.
Wessman told Morgunbladid that before facilities can be leased for such purposes, approval from Iceland’s Ministry of Health is required. “If that could be sorted out now, the first patients could come here in the fourth quarter of this year.”
Wessman is interested in renting facilities at the old US Naval Air Station in Keflavík for physical therapy, rehabilitation and behavioral therapy for obesity patients and an operating room in Reykjanesbaer municipality.
Wessman has already founded a travel agency in relation to such health related travels, called Pure Health. “We already have quite a few partners who are interested in working with us on bringing patients in.”
The partnership with Mayo Clinic would involve researching certain groups in society to increase preventative treatments instead of curative treatments.
Wessman hopes that the agreement with Mayo Clinic can be signed in the coming months. He believes the project could create respect for Iceland internationally and up to 300 new jobs.
