Helsinki’s biggest daily, Helsingin Sanomat, leads with claims that aggressive and violent behaviour on the city’s accident and emergency hospital wards is now a constant feature, and no longer the preserve of Friday and Saturday nights.
The article states that medical staff describe rising levels of fear and intimidation, with almost 2,000 reports of violent or threatening incidents across the Helsinki health district last year.
In 50 per cent of cases the patient or perpetrator was under the influence of alcohol, drugs or medication.
The problem doesn’t just interfere with staff doing their jobs, it also costs heavily in resources – one aggressive visitor last Friday at Peijas Hospital in Vantaa was dealt with by two police units, three hospital guards, two paramedics, two nurses and a doctor – a total of twelve personnel.
Daycare health worries continue
The front page of Tamepre’s Aamulehti takes up the plight of 240 children forced out of their nursery due to mould problems in the building, who have been relocated to a new site 20 metres from the busy Kalevantie road, where pollution is above recommended levels.
The paper claims that the traffic fumes are especially dangerous for the children who’d already suffered health problems because of the bad air in their previous daycare. The authorities say they’re looking for a solution – but with a ten-year lease now signed on the new building it looks like another transfer is a long way off.
Sochi defeat prompts more soul-searching
Meanwhile following Sweden’s gold medal – and Finland’s failure to make it to the podium - in Sunday’s men’s cross-country skiing relay at Sochi, tabloid Iltalehti turns its attention to a question that is as long-running as it is sensitive. Under the headline “Why does Sweden always win?”, the paper looks to explain why it is that the Finns so often crumble under pressure while their Scandinavian cousins cruise to victory.
A stream of Finland’s sporting heroes give their explanations – which include Sweden’s “annoyingly high self-confidence”, the fact that they put more emphasis on training, and perhaps key – that Swedish teammates are simply better at communicating with each other than the taciturn Finns.