South Savo Regional Council debates record budget cuts amidst threat in Finland

The South Savo Regional Council met remotely due to a threat, where they discussed record-breaking budget cuts. Several speeches were made during the discussion on the proposed savings. The council decided to revisit the planned cuts to hospital services. Arto Sepponen’s (Center Party) amendment overturned the government’s initial proposal with a vote of 39 to 19.

Sepponen’s proposal emphasized re-evaluating the more than eight million euro cuts to hospital services, which affect departments such as overnight surgery at Savonlinna Central Hospital. There was significant debate regarding the distribution of responsibilities between the two central hospitals in South Savo, which is one of the few welfare districts in Finland with two central hospitals. Critics argued that the savings primarily targeted the Savonlinna Central Hospital, raising questions about whether potential savings at Mikkeli Hospital had been examined as thoroughly.

For instance, Janne Laine (Center Party), a city official from Savonlinna, stated that the proposal had been poorly prepared and that change management had failed. Eija Stenberg (Social Democratic Party) warned that the region could even face fragmentation if the government’s savings proposal is implemented.

Additionally, the council decided to send back the proposal regarding the transfer of the elderly care unit from Kerimäki to Savonlinna for further preparation, accepting Tuukka Suomalainen’s (Center Party) proposal with a narrow vote of 31 to 27. Veli Liikanen’s (Green League) suggestion to remove the replacement of social workers with nurses in youth mental health services from the austerity measures was accepted with a vote of 45 to 14. The article will be updated as more information becomes available.