Doctors spend hours of work time driving due to shortage at Oulaskangas hospital

Doctors at Oulaskangas hospital in Oulainen are commuting nearly 100 kilometres from Oulu to cover staff shortages, as the facility struggles to recruit physicians, Yle reports.

The hospital has seen a decline in surgeries due to a lack of doctors, with at least two surgeons resigning last year. While one abdominal surgeon was hired this spring, vacancies remain—particularly for anesthesiologists. Three recruitment attempts for a permanent senior anesthesiologist have failed, forcing reliance on temporary arrangements.

Many doctors now travel from Oulu University Hospital (OYS), with the long commute counted as working hours. However, Juha Paloneva, director of hospital and emergency services at OYS, calls the solution “expensive and inefficient,” as valuable work time is lost to driving.

The shortage is part of a nationwide trend affecting smaller hospitals, where younger professionals increasingly prefer larger urban centres like Oulu for better career opportunities and staffing conditions. Paloneva notes that OYS cannot spare more doctors without disrupting its own operations, calling the current model unsustainable.

Oulaskangas hospital previously lost its 24/7 emergency services in October 2025 and transferred joint replacement surgeries to OYS in 2024, further reducing local medical capacity.