Finland's main opposition party confronted the government over healthcare service cuts during a parliamentary question time. The Social Democratic Party pressed Social and Health Services Minister Kaisa Juuso about ongoing reductions in welfare services across the country.
MP Aki Lindén presented a 21-point list detailing government healthcare cuts. He described a nationwide emergency with health services being reduced, staff facing layoffs, and treatment wait times lengthening.
Lindén directly challenged the minister about government inaction. We have long demanded more adjustment time for welfare regions. The government has been completely passive in this crisis, he said.
Minister Juuso responded that Finland's state finances require urgent attention. We need savings in public finances, she stated. Since welfare region funding represents about one-third of the annual state budget, we must focus there and on the funding law you crafted during the previous term.
Opposition MP Harry Harkimo joined the debate, claiming he received numerous complaints about healthcare conditions. The most shocking cases involve people spending nights in rooms with corpses, he reported. Others wait four months for cancer treatment.
Harkimo accused the government of planning 20,000 future layoffs in welfare regions. How do you expect people to understand they cannot get treatment? Arguing does not help, he added.
Minister Juuso dismissed Harkimo's claims about layoff numbers. I don't know where MP Harkimo pulls these numbers from, but they are completely untrue, she retorted. She clarified that not all consultation negotiations result in actual dismissals.
The debate reflects growing political tension around Finland's welfare region funding model. Recent discussions have featured calls to reopen the funding legislation from both opposition and government parties.
Coalition party RKP raised concerns that regions face impossible choices between deficit budgets or severe service cuts. Meanwhile, Social and Health Committee Vice Chair Mia Laiho emphasized the current funding model and number of welfare regions originated from the previous government.
The funding law cannot be changed suddenly, Laiho argued. It must be predictable and long-term. We must avoid sudden moves.
Green Party MP Saara Härkönen expressed frustration with ministerial responsibility avoidance. She found it astonishing that Finance Minister Riikka Purra blames everyone but the government for Finland's problems.
You are now responsible, Härkönen stated bluntly.
The heated exchange reveals fundamental disagreements about managing Finland's healthcare system during economic constraints. While the government emphasizes fiscal responsibility, opposition parties demand immediate action to address what they describe as a deteriorating healthcare crisis.