President Trump claimed he was sending a hospital ship to Greenland due to widespread illness, but fact-checkers found his statements misleading. Both USNS Mercy and USNS Comfort were undergoing maintenance in Alabama when Trump posted about the deployment on Truth Social. The USNS Mercy later left port Tuesday, though its destination remains unclear.

Greenland's health care system provides free services to its 57,000 residents through the Queen Ingrid Hospital and regional centers. Greenlandic Prime Minister Jens-Frederik Nielsen defended the system, noting treatment is free for citizens - a contrast to the U.S. system where patients pay for care. The territory faces public health challenges including obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease as it transitions from a hunting society to modern industrial life.

Despite occasional staff shortages in remote areas, Greenland has made significant health care improvements since taking control in 1992. Life expectancy has increased by six years for men and five to six years for women since the 1990s. Trump's special envoy Jeff Landry echoed claims about service shortages, but experts note Greenland uses telemedicine and patient transport to address access issues - solutions that contrast with rural America's ongoing health care crisis where 152 hospitals have closed since 2010.