Helsinki’s children hospital will be replaced, thanks to a mix of public and private financing. The public appeal for donations has caused disquiet inside and outside government, as critics fret that taxpayers should not ‘pay twice’ for public services.
Other health authorities are now warning that their own children's hospitals are woefully in need of being replaced, and they're worried that they're being overshadowed by the project in the capital. The government is chipping in 40 million euros to the cost of the new Helsinki unit, and other regions now want a similar helping hand.
Health chiefs in Turku, Oulu and Tampere have applied to the government for funding for new children's hospitals.
"It’s important that government funding for public services is spread evenly, in principle throughout the country," said Hannu Leskinen, head of the North Ostrobothnia hospital district.
Completion by 2018?
The hospitals in question serve a wider community than the town in which they are built. 18 percent of Turku children’s hospital’s patients come from outside the southwest Finland hospital district, while the figure for Tampere’s hospital district is 23 percent.
Both Tampere and Turku aim to have their new hospitals ready by 2018. They want the state to provide 25 percent of the required funds, as in Helsinki, with the total bill for Turku children’s hospital coming in at 158 million euros and for Tampere’s clinic at 70 million.
There has been no central government funding for new hospital construction for ten years, but the Helsinki children’s hospital was an exception.
Physicians across the country agree that Helsinki does play a central, co-ordinating role in paediatric care across the country, but say there is still a need for services across the country.
Care close to home
"It’s crucial that children’s care can be arranged close to home wherever possible, without compromising the quality of care," said Jussi Mertsola, Chief Medical Officer at Turku hospital for children.
Turku is looking to supplement public money with private donations, but Mertsola says he thinks there is enough Finnish philanthropy to fund both the hospitals planned for both Turku and Helsinki.
"We agree it’s important that Helsinki gets the 30 million euros in donations," said Mertsola. "After that target we hope for help to build other children’s hospitals across Finland. Other hospital districts could also organise local collections, but that does not indicate a desire to compete against the Helsinki appeal."