Staff members protest closure of Kuhmo Health Center with somber march

The inpatient department at Kuhmo Health Center has been closed since October 28. In protest of the closure, staff members organized a somber march through the center of Kuhmo. They pushed a hospital bed disguised as a coffin from the health center to the transportation hub and back, covering nearly two kilometers in total.

The Kainuu welfare area is consolidating acute care services, specifically inpatient departments, at Kainuu Central Hospital in Kajaani. Kuhmo will retain an assessment and rehabilitation unit with twelve patient places. Nurse Eija Peura expresses concern that this change will place residents of Kuhmo at a disadvantage, highlighting that travel from Kajaani to Kuhmo can take at least an hour and a half during winter conditions. “We talk about keeping the eastern border alive, but this doesn’t reflect that sentiment. There is also national sorrow as our healthcare system is being dismantled,” Peura says.

Kuhmo Health Center employees are also dissatisfied with their working conditions. The facility has reached the end of its lifespan, and due to air quality issues, some staff members are working in temporary spaces at the town hall. Only certain rooms at the health center are in use, forcing nurses to take turns checking if a space is available. Symptoms caused by the air quality make their days challenging, with stuffy noses and watery eyes.

The Kuhmo social and healthcare center tops the welfare area’s list of urgent investments. Meanwhile, neighboring municipality Sotkamo is currently constructing its own new healthcare center, which the welfare area will occupy as a tenant.