Sote | Chairman of the hospital investigation group: The minister's first reaction was unexpected, but not surprising

Feelings the chairman of the working group that made the shocking hospital report on Thursday describes the Minister of Social Affairs and Health Kaisa Juuson (ps) the first reaction to the working group's report as unexpected.

Juuso recently commented on Thursday To Ylethat the presentation on the reduction of central hospitals has been made completely without a more in-depth analysis of the current situation and impact assessments of different alternatives.

So the minister did not support the work of the working group made up of experts he himself appointed.

“There has been quite a bit of turbulence here – not in terms of this working group, but in terms of the whole welfare area operation. Things change even in a reasonably fast span of time. I have to say that it was unexpected, but it didn't surprise me that much”, says the welfare regional director of Päijät-Häme, who was the chairman Petri Virolainen for STT.

He has always emphasized that the investigation has started from a purely medical point of view, but there is more to the hospital network.

“What was a surprise is that this became so political and partly also political theater. Attempts have been made to form a confrontation in every possible way, especially from the political side, and a few experts have also joined in.”

Juice replied to STT by email on Friday that it is worthwhile in the working group's presentation that the experts in general evaluate the appropriateness of the hospital network.

According to him, the government will start discussing the pruning of the hospital network during the spring, and the goal is that a presentation on the necessary legislative changes could be issued next fall.

Working group the idea is that in the future each welfare area will have only one hospital on duty 24 hours a day – either a university hospital, a central hospital or an acute hospital. In acute hospitals, there would be no round-the-clock availability of operating rooms, births or intensive care.

This has angered the Kemi and Savonlinna hospitals, among others. However, the government has already decided that their separate funding for organizing round-the-clock emergency services will not be extended after 2025.

Could this be interpreted as meaning that when the separate funding ends, the extensive round-the-clock emergency services in these hospitals will also end?

“That's how I would understand this matter, but this is not just an expert matter, it also has political dimensions,” says Virolainen.

Previous the government made a permanent exception regulation for Kemi and Savonlinna. Juuso replied to STT by e-mail that separate funding was given up in accordance with the government program and it will no longer be opened.

“Hospitals' operating costs are covered by general overhead funding directed to welfare areas, in accordance with the basic principles of social security reform,” Juuso answered.

In addition, there are hospitals in Finland that have been allowed to be on call on different grounds, so to speak. According to Virolainen, 24/7 emergency services may also end in them if it is interpreted that they are independent hospitals.

“In the previous centralization regulation, it was stated that each university hospital district may have another hospital with 24/7 emergency services. It concerned Oulainen Hospital, Valkeakoski, Salo and, as I recall, Hyvinkää in Uusimaa.”