FINLAND | Emergency | Emergency services

Emergency services in general

The number you call in emergencies is 112. Dialling this number will connect you with the dispatcher, who refers your information and need of assistance to the ambulance service, fire and rescue unit, police and/or social services. If possible, make the call yourself. Give a statement on what has happened and state precisely the address and municipality. Answer any questions asked and follow the instructions given. Do not hang up until told to do so. Calls to the emergency service are free of charge and no area code is needed.
Emergency calls are recorded.

The Emergency Response Centres (ERC) recommend that you make an emergency call only in urgent, genuine cases of emergency when someone’s health, property or the environment is in danger. You should not dial 112 in non-urgent matters or just to make enquiries. These unnecessary calls may block the line for genuine emergency calls and lead to fatal consequences. Making misguided or hoax calls to the emergency number is a punishable offence.

Insurances

In Finland, public health care is mainly provided on the basis of residence and is primarily financed with general tax revenues. Primary health care services are the responsibility of municipalities and are provided through local health centres. They provide residents with physician, dental, laboratory and radiographic services. The municipalities also provide hospital care. There are also private medical service providers.

The European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) gives students access to medically necessary healthcare during temporary stays in most European countries under the same conditions as local residents. It is free of charge and should be carried alongside your regular health insurance documents when completing an internship abroad.

You can contact your local municipal health centre and prove your right to benefits by presenting a valid EHIC. You may be asked to prove your identity with a passport or other travel document. You need to make an appointment in advance. The preventive health education services are free of charge, but there are charges for certain services. This varies from one municipality to another. A visit to the doctor (including laboratory and X-ray services) varies between 11-22€. You can also contact a private physician, but here you have to pay the full fee (40-130€ depending on the specialist, but you can get a reimbursement).

Medical emergencies

If you had an accident or become suddenly ill, you can go to the health centre’s first aid or emergency services (during daytime with a same-day-appointment or during evenings and night on a queuing basis). Coming outside of the regular hours, patients may be charged an extra fee of 15€.

Hospitals require a referral from a doctor in order to admit a patient, but in emergencies you can contact the hospital directly. A valid EHIC must be presented to get these medical benefits. Waiting times at hospitals’ emergency services are usually long, up to several hours. An outpatient visit to the hospital is 22€ and in a private sector even 72€. These fees are not reimbursed. In a private hospital, you pay the full fee but may be reimbursed.

If you need urgent dental care you can contact the dentist on call at the local health centre or a private practitioner. Health centres will charge a fee according to a fixed scale of charges (usually less than 80€). Private dentists’ fees are larger, but you can get a reimbursement.