Welfare areas | Childbirth operations at Länsi-Pohja Central Hospital will be suspended at the beginning of next year

Lapland regional government of the welfare area boat on Wednesday, that birthing activities at Länsi-Pohja Central Hospital must be suspended at the beginning of next year. The decision is temporary and applies only to next year.

The reason is to ensure the patient safety of those giving birth during the changes taking place in the organization of Länsi-Pohja’s operations. In the background there is concern about the adequacy of personnel.

The operation of Länsi-Pohja Central Hospital has been outsourced to Mehiläinen Länsi-Pohja oy since 2018. The arrangement was in Finland exceptional.

From the beginning of next year, medical work in the specialties of paediatrics and gynecology will move to the welfare area, among other things.

According to the regional government, it is possible to restart birthing activities if Finnish legislation, national guidance and the policies of the regional council allow it.

Western North the central hospital already received at the end of 2020 exceptional permission to continue childbirth. Continuation of births was at stake due to low numbers of births.

The working group proposed at the beginning of the yearthat the number of maternity hospitals should be reduced so that, with the exception of Uuttaamaa, each welfare region would have only one maternity hospital.

Lapland’s central hospital in Rovaniemi is in the same area as Länsi-Pohja.