Lohja Hospital|You can give birth in Lohja hospital for only three months. The savings will close the maternity ward at the beginning of December.
“Lohjan Abolishing the maternity ward will weaken the rights and status of women in Uusimaa as a whole,” says the chief steward of Hus’ gynecology and obstetrics department Eva Hiila.
On Monday, Hiila learned at a press conference organized by Hus that the operation of the Lohja hospital’s maternity department will cease earlier than expected, already in December of this year. The faster-than-planned shutdown was justified by cost-saving reasons.
The professional organization Tehy accused in a press release sent on Monday that Hus had acted contrary to the Employment Act. According to the organization, Hus would not have consulted with the staff in time about his decision to permanently move Lohja’s births elsewhere.
Hus started change negotiations affecting the entire staff in August. The reason for the change negotiations is the large adjustment program set for the years 2025–2027, in which the aim is to save a total of 508 million euros over three years.
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“It is nothing to be proud of that we have the largest maternity hospital in Europe.”
Although the closure was already known, according to Hiila, many hoped that the operation would continue until the spring of 2026, when Jorvi’s maternity ward will open.
“The decision to end the spring was a shock, the summer closure was a shock and now this.”
At the moment, there are about 50 midwives and assistants working in the maternity ward. Their jobs are now at stake. Hiila thinks that at least some will be employed at the Women’s Clinic, Jorvi or Hyvinkää.
“Some don’t even go to these cooperation negotiations, they quit.”
The birth attendants from a point of view, the closing of Lohja’s maternity ward is a bad thing, according to Hiila. The travel time for many people increases, which may increase the number of births while traveling.
It is also not the desire of all birthing mothers to give birth in a large hospital. When the A wing of the Women’s Clinic is commissioned, Finland will be the largest maternity hospital in Europe. Previously, the largest maternity hospital was located in Turkey.
“It is nothing to be proud of that we have the largest maternity hospital in Europe. In Turkey, women’s rights are not such that we should take them as a model.”
“I would like Finland to continue to be a country that prides itself on being the safest country in the world to give birth.”
Under present conditions Lohja’s maternity ward operates normally from the ninth day of September until the first day of December.
Whether there will be any activity left for the department after the cooperation negotiations is still a question mark. Hiila hopes that there would be summer closure-style activities, such as ultrasound screenings and a telephone service for women giving birth.
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