Iltalehti's editorial on Thursday calls for Fortum CEO Markus Rauramo's resignation following what it characterises as "the biggest failure in Finnish corporate history."
IL's Kreeta Karvala writes that when the company announced on Wednesday it would sell its entire stake in Uniper to the German state, the deal became the biggest corporate loss in Finland's history, amounting to around six billion euros. Yet, Karvala says, no one from Fortum seems to be taking responsibility.
The management of Fortum, which spent 7 billion euros on the Uniper acquisition in 2017, ignored several risk warnings that Russia might begin cutting off gas shipments in order to exert pressure on Europe, according to the paper.
At the time of the acquisition in 2017, Rauramo acted as Fortum's CFO.
On Wednesday, Rauramo blamed Fortum's Uniper losses on the war in Ukraine. In the same breath, he expressed regret for all the "trouble and inconvenience" Fortum has caused, the paper writes. In spite of this, Rauramo does not appear to be resigning of his own accord, so his fate rests with Fortum's board, which is now led by Veli-Matti Reinikkala. At the time of the Uniper acquisition, Reinikkala was already on the company's board.
Some accountability from Sari Baldauf, who chaired Fortum's Board during the Uniper acquisition, and Pekka Lundmark, the company's CEO at the time, would also be welcome, IL writes.
In addition, Fortum's unfortunate Uniper adventure illustrates the failure of the state's corporate governance, the paper notes. Due to this failure, Fortum's management was left to its own devices, only calling in the politicians when "the shit had already hit the fan."
Impact of healthcare staffing shortages
Nurses' personal accounts are featured in the national daily Helsingin Sanomat regarding the ongoing staffing shortages in the Finnish healthcare sector.
Four nurses working in the Helsinki University Hospital District (HUS) were interviewed by the paper about incidents at work related to the prevailing situation.
Although the editors know the nurses' identities, their accounts are told anonymously.
"I waited in the ward for three hours with a seriously ill patient to go into surgery. The stitches from his previous major operation had failed and he had internal bleeding in his abdomen. I was afraid the patient was going to die, and he was afraid he was going to die," a nurse who has worked at HUS for six years told the paper.
Meanwhile, a midwife told HS that during the summer, 12 midwives left and recruiting replacements had proven difficult, adding that the staff shortage could endanger mothers and babies. She told the paper that sometimes, potentially serious incidents could only be avoided through pure luck.
An operating theatre nurse at HUS reported that operations were cancelled daily. "Every weekday, between one to four operating theatres are closed because of a shortage of skilled nurses in our department." She added that around 60 nursing positions remain unfilled in her department.
Veli-Matti Ulander,HUS' Chief Medical Officer, acknowledged to HS that nurses are shorthanded. The daily incidents reported by the nurses were also not disputed by Ulander. According to him, the situation also varies by unit.
Flu season in Finland
The RS-virus, parainfluenza and influenza are spreading fast in Finland, and could cause major epidemics for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic, Iltasanomat informs readers on Thursday.
"What the coronavirus vaccines did was to make it pretty quiet for all viral infections. Now there's a bit of a fear that since we haven't had these viruses for a few years, we'll start getting them in droves," Veli-Jukka Anttila, an infectious disease doctor, told the paper.
Viruses, once contracted, provide protection against similar viruses for a few years, but not for life, IS reports.
"There is no evidence of this yet, but it may be that flu seasons will be a bit more difficult now that the protective measures against the coronavirus have ended," Anttila said.
As a result of seasonal variations in viruses, the worst flu season in Finland usually lasts from late November to early spring.
An individual's immunity, or resistance, is based on white blood cells, healthy skin, and mucous membranes, the paper writes, adding that especially during the winter, skin and mucous membrane problems are often caused by dry air.
"It causes the mucous membranes in the nose to dry out and when you wake up in the morning your lips may be chapped. Dehydration makes you more susceptible to diseases," Anttila told the paper.