Expecting parents in Tornio and Kemi face uncertainty over maternity ward status in Kemi

Jenna and Aleksi Gullsten from Tornio are expecting their second child, due on Christmas Eve. In Kemi, Milena Pallas-Saksi and Santeri Saksi are awaiting their third child, also expected around the New Year, with the due date set for St. Stephen’s Day.

The arrival locations of the new babies remain uncertain as both families hope for deliveries at Kemi’s West-Pohjan Central Hospital. They wish to have clarity on the situation soon. “I hope we receive a decision quickly so we can have peace during the final days of waiting. It’s as if a lifeline is thrown and then pulled away,” Milena Pallas-Saksi expressed.

Currently, the status of the maternity ward in Kemi is ambiguous. The hospital is supposed to offer maternity services until the end of this year, but due to unclear decision-making, it is uncertain if operations will continue through the year’s end. A previous exception allowing service until December 31, 2025, was abandoned by the Lapland wellbeing area (Lapha), which opted to close maternity services in Kemi by December 31, 2024, and shift deliveries to Rovaniemi. In July, the Northern Finland Administrative Court suspended Lapha’s decision, and a new, similar ruling is expected in October.

Both families view Oulu as a potential alternative delivery location. “We’re saddened by the situation. The experience with our first delivery in Kemi was excellent, and I hope to deliver my second there too. If that doesn’t work out, we will go to Oulu; for us, it feels more natural than Rovaniemi,” Jenna Gullsten remarked.

Local maternity clinics are equally confused about the situation. Health professionals express stress over the uncertainty, especially for first-time mothers. Many expectant parents from the Meri-Lappi region are also considering Oulu if deliveries can’t occur in Kemi.