Keusote ends lease, leaving Klaukkala without health station

Residents of Klaukkala in Nurmijärvi have been left without a local health station after the Central Uusimaa wellbeing services county, Keusote, unilaterally terminated its lease for the facility. Yle reports that the station has not reopened since a fire in June.

Residents now have to travel 15 kilometres to Nurmijärvi church village for social and healthcare services. Keusote wellbeing services county director Raija Kontio considers the longer distance to physical healthcare services reasonable, noting that services are also provided at home and digitally.

“This came completely out of the blue. I am in shock,” Klaukkala resident Ritva Waris-Wörlin said. She questioned how older people and those without cars would get to the church village.

Keusote seeks premises for some services

The fire caused smoke damage to the health station building. Keusote terminated the lease for the Klaukkala social and healthcare unit a week ago through an official decision.

It is not yet known when services will return to Klaukkala. Keusote and the municipality of Nurmijärvi are negotiating on Monday about the future of local social and healthcare services.

Some local services may be accommodated near Klaukkala, but no final decisions have been made. Keusote has spent the summer examining how services such as maternity and child health clinic services could be arranged in Klaukkala, possibly in a school or daycare centre.

The building was also found to have indoor air problems in 2023. Nurmijärvi says it has carried out extensive investigations and repairs at the health station in recent years and is ready to present the property to Keusote’s regional board.

Municipality demands reversal

Nurmijärvi is asking Keusote to reverse its decision to terminate the lease.

“There was no advance information whatsoever about this termination notice,” municipal manager Outi Mäkelä said.

The municipality has received many messages from concerned residents, Mäkelä said. A public discussion on healthcare services will be held in Klaukkala on Wednesday, with Keusote representatives also expected to attend.

A broader reform of the service network will be considered by political decision-makers in the autumn. Kontio said the issue concerns more than Klaukkala.

“A major, long-term decision on the service network will be brought more broadly before political decision-makers,” Kontio said.

Financial concerns behind service changes

The service network decisions are also linked to Keusote’s financial situation. The wellbeing services county is subject to a procedure for advance financial control, and its deficits must be reduced.

The autumn will show how the services at Klaukkala health station will be arranged permanently and what changes the broader service network reform will bring.

Many Klaukkala residents say local social and healthcare services are essential. Mikael Ohlström said he went to the health station to collect a container for his father’s laboratory sample, but found an empty building instead.

“I was a little surprised. I had heard they were going to close this, but I did not know when or that it would be closed now,” he said.

Ohlström questioned the closure because money had already been spent on the properties.

“Would it not make more sense to repair them and keep them in use, since the services still have to be provided?” he said.