Healthcare in Finland - History

History

Finland’s journey to a welfare state has been long, from a very modest start. The history of modern medicine in Finland can be considered to have begun at 1640 when the first university of Finland, The Royal Academy of Turku, was established. At the time Finland was a part of the Swedish Empire. As the field of medicine did not enjoy very high status in society at the time, the importance of trained medical faculty remained low for a long time. Until 1750, the professor of medicine was the only trained medical doctor in Finland. Finland had a much lower doctor-patient ratio comparing to the neighbouring countries all the way until the 20th century.

An example of early treatment facilities for tuberculosis and leprosy was a hospital on the island of Själö (or Seili in Finnish) which was established on the 1624 and run by the church. It was chosen due to its remote location from the mainland. It was not however until 1759 that the first hospital, albeit a modest hospital, was established in Turku. Consisting of six patient beds in a simple wooden building, it nonetheless marked the first step toward the modern Finnish medical system. It is noteworthy that at the time, Finland had a much lower doctor-patient ratio comparing to neighboring countries. This lasted all the way until the 20th century.

Mainly due to the poor hygiene, famine, and poverty, the most common causes of death in the mid-19th century consisted of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, dysentery and typhoid fever.

While the number of hospitals increased rapidly from the late 19th century onward, it was still uncommon to be treated in one. The largest causes of mortality were coronary heart diseases for men and breast cancer for women. In 1929, a special committee was established to evaluate the status of health care in Finland. Due to the lack of service providers outside cities, it was suggested that municipalities establish local hospitals for their citizens. The decision to establish publicly funded hospitals can be considered the base of the current model of modern health care in Finland.

The plans to reform the health care system were delayed due to the Second World War, but the increased need of medical care due to injuries to the soldiers may have enhanced the development of the hospital network. In the 1950s, Finland had two university hospitals, in Helsinki and Turku. Due to the increased demand of medical care and lack of medical doctors, more medical faculties and university hospitals were established.

During the 20th century a notable contribution to the reduction of infant mortality was done by Arvo Ylppö. He conducted research about children’s pathological anatomy and attracted international recognition for his efforts. He has also contributed to the development of nursing education, pharmacy industry and public awareness about health issues.