Medical Facilities and Health Information

In Finland, medical facilities and their staff are as a rule excellent and are widely available for emergency services. English is commonly spoken by Finnish medical personnel. Helsinki is a frequent medical evacuation point for emergency cases from the countries of the former Soviet Union. The public hospital system and many private hospitals honor foreign credit cards.

If you are as a tourist or temporarily visiting Finland and you require immediate emergency medical assistant (trauma, life or death cases), you may visit a local medical center or clinic, called “ensiapuasema” (first-aid station). Usually the first-aid station is located at the district hospital, where it is possible to provide a full range of services as needed. Patients should be prepared to present their passports. In case of a medical emergency, use the emergency telephone number 112 (equivalent to “911” in the U.S.) to contact the appropriate emergency service.

If your injury or your medical need is a minor one, then most private clinics are able to provide you with the assistance you require.

If you are living permanently in Finland and you require primary health care service, you should first contact your local health centre. Residents of the municipalities can book appointments in a health centre by themselves. Access to specialized medical care requires a referral from a health centre physician or private practitioner for non-emergency cases.

Travelers with special medical needs should consult with their personal physician and take appropriate precautions, including bringing adequate supplies of necessary medication. Medicines may be brought into the country as long as they are intended for the traveler's personal use. Medications categorized as narcotics may only be brought into the country to cover the traveler's personal use for a maximum of 14 days and must be accompanied by a medical certificate stating why the traveler needs them. There are special requirements referring to quantity of dose that can be brought into the country. For more detail information, please contact the Finnish Embassy at Washington D.C. sanomat.was@formin.fi

In addition, stringent Finnish customs regulations prohibit travelers from receiving drugs from abroad after having arrived in the country. Travelers may also find local physicians reluctant to prescribe equivalent quantities or dosages.

Prescriptions are dispensed at pharmacies ("apteekki" in Finnish.) Most pharmacies are open during normal shopping hours but major cities have a 24-hour pharmacy.

Information on vaccinations and other health precautions, such as safe food and water precautions and insect bite protection, may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s hotline for international travelers at 1-877-FYI-TRIP (1-877-394-8747); fax 1-888-CDC-FAXX (1-888-232-3299), or via the CDC’s Internet site at www.cdc.gov/travel. For information about outbreaks of infectious diseases abroad consult the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website at www.who.int/en. Further health information for travelers is available at www.who.int/ith.

List of Hospitals/Doctors in Helsinki

The Embassy assumes no responsibility for the professional ability or integrity of the facilities listed below.

1. Eira Lääkäriasema
   Laivurinkatu 29
   Telephone: 09-162-0570
   Clinic is attached to private hospital. Additional services include laboratory, radiology and physical therapy departments. Will refer if necessary to treatment. Private facility.
   
2. Mehiläinen Sairaala (hospital)* Lääkärikeskus (clinic)
   Pohjoinen Hesperiankatu 17 - Runeberginkatu 47 (corner)
   Telephone: 010-4140112
   24 hr. EMERGENCY SERVICES. Will refer to larger public facility if necessary for treatment. Clinic attached to private hospital. Complete radiology department including MRI capability, laboratory services, foot clinic available. Private facility. Private children's clinic, open Mon.-Sat. 7:30 am - 8:00 pm, Sun. 9 am - 8:00 pm. Full range of expert care for your child 0 - 18.
3. Meilahti Hospital
   Haartmaninkatu 4
   Telephone:09-4711
   24 hr. EMERGENCY SERVICES. Cardiology, respiratory medicine, infectious diseases, general internal medicine soft tissue emergency surgery. This is a public hospital, you will be charged as a private patient.
4. Töölö Hospital
   Topeliuksenkatu 5
   Telephone:09- 4711
   24 hr. EMERGENCY SERVICES. Multiple traumas, broken bones, burns, intensive care, neurosurgery. This is a public facility. You will be charged as a private patient. 
5. Women's Hospital
   Haartmaninkatu 2
   Telephone: 09-4711
   24 hr. EMERGENCY FOR GYN/OB ONLY. Newborn ICU, this is a public facility, you will be charged as a private patient.
   
6. Dextra
   Munkkivuori Medical Center
   Raumantie 1 A
   Telephone: 09-560-160
   Private facility. Clinic, radiology, laboratory.