Healthcare In Finland
Health care in Finland consists of a highly decentralized, three-level publicly funded health care system and a much smaller private health care sector. Although the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has the highest decision making authority, the municipalities (local governments) are responsible in providing health care to their residents.
Finland offers its residents universal health care. Health promotion, including prevention of diseases has been the main focus of Finnish health care policies for decades. This has resulted in the eradication of certain communicable diseases and improvement in the health of population. Current challenges in the Finnish health care are waiting lists in ambulatory care, staff shortages in some municipalities, the increasing health care expenditures due to an aging population, and the increasing costs of the health care technology.
The quality of service in Finnish health care is considered to be good; according to a survey published by the European Commission in 2000, Finland has the highest number of people satisfied with their hospital care system in the EU: 88% of Finnish respondents were satisfied compared with the EU average of 41.3%.
Read more about Healthcare In Finland: History, Organizational Structure, Health Financing, Private Sector, National Health Insurance, Pharmaceuticals, Health Information Technology, Immigrant Health Care, Health Equity