The government plans to merge the Zealand and Greater Copenhagen regions into a single “East Denmark” megaregion, reducing the number of regions from five to four, government leaders said at a press briefing on Wednesday.

The plan forms part of a broader health reform which was presented by the government leadership. 

The new East Denmark Region would result in a significant size disparity between the regions. For example, Region North Jutland covers only 10 percent of the population, while the new megaregion would encompass nearly half of Denmark’s population of 5.9 million people.

The three remaining regions would not be changed by the reform.

“There will not be fewer hospitals around the country. This is about strengthening them,” Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said at the briefing.

Currently, Denmark is organised into 98 different municipalities and five regions.

The primary task of municipalities is local administration of welfare and social needs including schools, while the job description for regions involves healthcare and social development.

Regions – and their elected boards – administrate public hospitals and the GP system. They also orchestrate regional mass transit and manage initiatives to create economic growth.

The names of the five regions (Greater Copenhagen, Zealand, North Jutland, Central Jutland and South Denmark) are most commonly associated with hospital care and health care. If you want to know which region you’re in in Denmark, you’ll find its logo at the entrance to most hospitals or public health facilities, as well as on your yellow Danish health insurance card.

READ ALSO: What’s the difference between a municipality and a region in Denmark?

The proposal presented on Wednesday includes three main elements. These are targets to provide more local services, increase the number of doctors and overhaul treatment of chronic diseases.

That includes addressing a shortage of doctors at some hospitals outside of larger cities – including in the Zealand regional authority – by ensuring better distribution of regional medical staff.

“The Regions must ensure hospitals that continue to deliver high quality treatment and they must ensure that resources are distributed in such a way that there are enough doctors in the areas where members of the public are most in need of treatment,” the proposal states.

“They will also be responsible for an overarching economy that must be targeted towards places where needs are greatest,” it continues.

Under the plan, the number of elected councillors across the country, currently 41 per region, would be reduced by the merger between two of the regions and by reducing the number of councillors in the remaining regions to 31, or 25 in the case of the smaller North Jutland region.

The government also wants to create 17 new health councils or sundhedsråd as part of the reform. These councils would consist of elected officials from both regional health boards and municipal governments, and would be tasked with implementing government initiatives.

The plan will also see increased uptake on medicine degrees in Esbjerg, Aalborg and Køge.

If the plan is adopted, the changes would take effect from 2027.