Sweden’s newly appointed health minister, Elisabet Lann, fainted and collapsed during a government press conference on Tuesday, toppling a lectern and appearing briefly unconscious before being helped by colleagues and leaving the room for treatment.
Footage of the incident shows Lann slowly pitching forward and knocking over a lectern as she stood alongside Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and other officials. Several people in the room, including politicians and journalists, rushed to her aid. Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch was seen placing Lann in the recovery position while others shouted, "call an ambulance, call an ambulance." Lann was shortly afterwards carried from the room.
Officials said Lann later returned to the venue and appeared unharmed. She told those present, "This is what can happen when you have low blood sugar," and resumed participating in the proceedings, according to video and accounts of the event. The incident occurred on the same day Lann was appointed health minister after her predecessor, Acko Ankarberg Johansson, resigned suddenly the day before.
The press conference included the prime minister and other senior government figures who were briefing the public when the collapse occurred. Eyewitnesses described an immediate, coordinated response from nearby officials and journalists who helped place Lann in a recovery position while an ambulance was summoned.
Swedish authorities have not released detailed medical information about Lann’s condition beyond the accounts given at the scene. The episode drew attention in part because it came on Lann’s first full day in the post and amid wider public interest in the health of political figures. Last month, Serbia’s Minister for Public Investments, Darko Glišić, fell ill during a live television appearance and later underwent emergency surgery.
The government has not provided a formal medical update or timetable for Lann’s duties. Press briefings in the immediate aftermath continued under the supervision of other ministers while officials arranged for any necessary medical follow-up. News organisations and members of the public circulated video of the collapse on social media and in broadcast reports, prompting calls for clarification from official sources.
Sweden’s appointment of Lann came as part of a rapid change in the health ministry following Acko Ankarberg Johansson’s abrupt resignation. The government said at the time that replacements would be announced promptly to ensure continuity of public health administration. Officials have indicated they will provide further information if and when it becomes available.