Health authorities in Finland expect new cases of Covid to decline during the summer, but experts remain concerned about the ability of hospitals to cope in the coming months.
The number of coronavirus patients in hospital has declined recently, less in intensive care than ever since last summer.
Chief Medical Officer of HUS, Veli-Matti Ulandertold Yle that while Covid patients are unlikely to burden healthcare units during the summer, hospitals are likely to struggle for another reason – staff shortages.
Ulander said the entire country suffers from a shortage of health care staff in terms of both permanent staff and temporary security.
Finland’s largest hospital district, HUS, announced that there will be fewer beds this summer than last year.
"The situation is exceptionally bad. We now have 200 fewer beds than last summer," Ulander told Yle.
However, the summer of 2021 was far from easy, according to a top doctor at HUS.
Longer expectations
This means that patients will have to wait longer for treatment.
"Non-emergency care sometimes shifts to fall," Ulander explained.
Experts have long warned of a shortage of health care workers in Finland. The country is expected to recruit an additional 30,000 nurses by 2030 to meet the demands of an aging population.
Ulander said the number of new employees entering the industry will not replace those who retire.
"The effects are visible throughout the healthcare chain – from nursing homes to specialist care," he explained
The coronavirus pandemic has also led to new jobs in healthcare, which has removed workers from their former jobs.
Last month, about 25,000 nurses went on a two-week strike to protest wages and conditions. Nurses’ unions later announced a new health care strike covering 35,000 workers.
But unions lifted the second strike at the last minute after the family and social affairs minister Who is Linden (SDP) introduced a law in violation of the strike, which would have forced nurses to return to work to protect patient safety.
Source: The Nordic Page