Satakunta faces new cuts as independence comes under threat

Satakunta wellbeing services county faces difficult new financial decisions and may struggle to remain independent, according to Yle. The county must reduce its finances by 75 million euros by the end of the decade, while demand for services has grown more than expected.

Heidi Viljanen, chair of the county board, said the county will not meet its financial target under its current operating model. The projected surplus for this year is only 2.8 million euros, which she said is not nearly enough.

Use of services has increased particularly at university hospitals, in services for older people and in child protection.

Independence at risk

Viljanen said the county cannot achieve the required savings under its current plans. It must find new ways of providing services while operating with the same state funding, even as the need for services increases.

She said there is a genuine possibility that Satakunta wellbeing services county will not be able to continue independently. Viljanen said she remained hopeful but acknowledged that the county might eventually have to give up.

Residents oppose service cuts

The county board is due to consider more than 270 requests for rectification concerning earlier decisions to close health stations and dental clinics.

Viljanen said she understood the anger caused by cuts to local services. She said she had read every request and, as a resident of Kankaanpää, could understand the distress caused by longer travel distances.

Viljanen said she was not giving up. In her view, the county could still find new savings and change the way it operates, although doing so would be difficult.

The county’s financial situation appeared considerably better before the summer, and it recorded a surplus last year.