Lääkärin sosiaalinen vastuu ry

Social and Health Care Services for Undocumented Migrants in the Southwest Finland Region

This page brings together services intended for the undocumented in the Southwest Finland region. You will find information, for example, about health services, social work, day centers and legal counseling.

Know Your Rights

In Finland, health care is based on public services. You may go to any health center or wellbeing center in the municipality where you are staying. Primary health care deals with general health problems, while specialized medical care treats illnesses or injuries that fall under medical specialties.

You have the right to urgent and necessary health care and to basic subsistence. Urgent care includes, for example, emergency services as well as first aid and intensive care. The need for necessary care is always assessed by a health-care professional, but it includes at least monitoring and treatment of chronic illnesses, the renewal of certain
regular medications, vaccinations, certain laboratory tests, and followup visits after emergency treatment. In addition, pregnant women receive maternity clinic follow-up during pregnancy as well as delivery services. Children have the right to all the same
health services as residents of the wellbeing services counties.

Healthcare personnel are bound by confidentiality. A doctor, nurse, or other professional is not allowed to report you to the authorities because of your residence status.

The client must pay a service fee for nurse and doctor appointments, maternity clinic services, dental care, and emergency visits. If you are without means, inform the professional, and the invoice can be withheld.

You do not need a Kela card. If you do not have a personal identity code, remember to ask the professional for a temporary identity code and write it down, as you will need it later when using health services. You may have several temporary identity codes,
because each patient information system must create a separate code for you. Also ask for your prescriptions and patient instructions as paper printouts.

Seek care in good time — it is your right!

Health Care and Social Services

Emergency Number

In case of emergency, call the emergency number 112. Calls are free. Emergency calls are answered at all hours all year round.

If you call the emergency number, do the following:

  • State what happened and where you are.
  • Answer the questions and follow the instructions given to you.
  • Wait for help to arrive.
  • Don’t hang up the phone until you are given permission to do so.
Emergency Care

On weekdays between 8:00 and 16:00, you can go to the emergency services of any health center without an appointment. If you become acutely ill in the evening, at night, on a holiday, or during the weekend, seek care at a hospital emergency room. In an urgent situation, help is provided regardless of the municipality where you live or stay.
You do not need an appointment. First, call the emergency helpline 116117 (a free service).

Hospital On-Call Services

Joint emergency departments:

Turku

Tyks, T-hospital
Savitehtaankatu 1, 20540 Turku
Open every day, around the clock

Salo

Tyks, Salo hospital
Sairaalantie 9, 24130 Salo
Open Mon-Sun 8:00-22:00

Loimaa

Tyks, Loimaa hospital
Seppälänkatu 15, 32200 Loimaa
Open Mon-Sun 10:00-20:00

Uusikaupunki

Tyks, Vakka-Suomi hospital
Terveystie 2, 23500 Uusikaupunki
Open Mon-Sun 10:00-20:00

Other emergency departments:

Turku, Tyks Lighthouse Hospital (Paediatric Emergency Department)

Savitehtaankatu 5, 20540 Turku
Main entrance 22, 2. floor section H, elevators A
Open every day, around the clock. The paediatric and adolescent emergency department treats children and adolescents under the age of 16 who require urgent care, around the clock. Assessment of your need for treatment by phone:
+3582 313 1420

Emergency Services During Pregnancy and Labor

The pregnancy and labor emergency department treats only women coming in to give birth, but also pregnant women with over 20+0 weeks of pregnancy, who have sudden
pregnancy-related problems, as well as mothers up to four weeks after labor. Those coming to give birth do not need to notify the hospital in advance.

You can contact the pregnancy and labor emergency department by phone:
+3582 313 1000

Dental Emergency Services (Urgent Treatment During Office Hours)

Emergency appointments during office hours: Mon-Thu 8:00-16:00 and Fri 8:00-15:30.
The emergency clinic is intended for patients who need urgent treatment. The urgency of the need for treatment is assessed by phone, and an appointment is booked if necessary.

Examples of situations requiring urgent treatment:

  • Severe pain in the teeth or oral region
  • Local swelling and infections
  • Problems after dental procedures, such as pain, wound reopening, or bleeding that does not stop
  • Injuries to the face or jaws, e.g., a tooth knocked out by an accident, a severely fractured tooth, or a permanent tooth that is very loose
  • A chipped front tooth that cause an aesthetic problem
  • A large tooth fracture causing symptoms, or an unfinished root canal treatment
  • Jaw joint or chewing muscle problems accompanied by severe pain or numbness
  • A fixed orthodontic appliance, bridge, or crown that is partially loose or at risk of detaching and causing irritation
  • Painful changes in the oral mucosa or prolonged ulcers
  • A sudden change in tooth mobility

Check the contact details of the nearest emergency clinic on the website.

Health Centers and Child Health Clinics

All Turku health centers and the Immigrant Health Services provide non-urgent and, when needed, urgent care for undocumented people. Urgent care can be provided at any health center you choose to visit. If you do not have a personal identity code, it is easiest to handle matters in person. Otherwise, you may contact Immigrant Health Services by phone if your language skills are sufficient (Finnish, Swedish, English):
+35840 486 3661 (Mon-Thu 8:15-15:00, Fri 8:15-14:00)

You can find all health centers in the Wellbeing Service County of Southwest Finland on the website.

Pregnant women have the right to maternity clinic services, and children under school age have the right to child health clinic services. You can find all maternity and child health clinic services in the Wellbeing Services County of Southwest Finland on the website (pregnant women, children and families).

Other Social and Health Services

Sexually Transmitted Diseases, Treatment and Testing

If you suspect you have contracted a sexually transmitted disease, call your health center. If you need advice related to sexually transmitted diseases or their prevention, call your health center or the sexually transmitted disease clinic’s advisory number.

Outpatient clinic for sexually transmitted diseases:
Telephone counselling is available MonThu 13:00-15:00 and Fri 13:00-14:00.
Call the number +3582 313 2635

Global Clinic

Global Clinic provides multidisciplinary support and health counselling for undocumented individuals. It also helps with access to care. The clinic is staffed by volunteer health-care professionals. You can receive help confidentially and free of charge, and you are not required to reveal your identity. If you wish to contact Global Clinic, call +35840 618 4554 or send an email to globalclinicturku@gmail.com. More information can be found on the website.

Social and Crisis Emergency Services

Social and crisis emergency services provide urgent or necessary assistance in acute crisis situations. They help people of all ages around the clock.

The service handles, for example, urgent child welfare matters, provides psychosocial support in accident and crisis situations, and is responsible for urgent social services outside office hours.

Examples of urgent situations:

  • an acute concern about the situation, conditions, or safety of a child or family
  • an acute concern about an adult’s or elderly person’s ability to cope at home
  • a situation involving domestic violence
  • a need for immediate crisis support in a traumatic situation (e.g., accident, sudden death of a loved one, violent incidents, severe injury or illness, fire)

The phone number for the social and crisis emergency services is +3582 262 6003. The number is available around the clock.

Emergency Housing

If you need emergency or crisis accommodation, call the social and crisis emergency services of Southwest Finland at +3582 262 6003 (available around the clock).

Other Advisory and Support Services

Turun Valkonauha, House for All Women

Turun Valkonauha ry operates a day center called House for all women (Kaikkien naisten talo) in Turku. The day center provides support for people without residence permits or those at risk of losing their residence rights (undocumented people, asylum
seekers, and individuals who have arrived in Finland with other residence permits). The services provided by Turun Valkonauha ry are low-threshold, free of charge, and open to anyone who needs them.
At the day center you can receive:

  • Individual support and guidance for assessing your overall situation (residence permits/services)
  • Help filling out applications/forms
  • Assistance with official appointments
  • Group activities for women and children

Contact details, WhatsApp is also available
Minna Saunders, phone: +35840 049 8856
Azra Heldic, phone: +35840 830 3707
www.turunvalkonauha.fi
Facebook: kaikkiennaistentalo
Instagram: kaikkien_naisten_talo

Salvation Army Community Breakfast

Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00-12:00. Hämeenkatu 20, 20500 Turku.

Food Aid

Food aid providers:

Church Varikko
  • Kaarina Varikko: free lunch Monday and Thursday 11:00-12:30
  • Varissuo Varikko: free lunch Tuesday and Friday 11:30-13:00
  • City center Varikko: free lunch Monday and Friday 12:00-14:00

See other services and programs on the web site.

City Center Varikko Services for Undocumented People

Diaconal services are intended for everyone, regardless of religion, nationality, language, residence status, etc. Diaconal assistance may include counselling and support discussions, guidance and advice, food and clothing aid, financial assistance, or peer support in groups.

Contact: Minna Iljanka, minna.iljanka@evl.fi, +35840 341 7291, services for undocumented people and other particularly vulnerable migrants (asylum seekers, international students with families, victims of human trafficking and labour exploitation)

Physicians for Social Responsibility, Health Advice Service by PapeTe Project

The advice service is intended for undocumented people and those who encounter them. The advice service provides support and guidance on accessing healthcare services and treatment facilities. Call or send a message (text message or WhatsApp, including voice messages) Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to
044 744 9932. You can also send us an email: health.advice@lsv.fi

Follow our advice page on Facebook: Health Advice for Undocumented Migrants
We publish up-to-date information there on healthcare for undocumented migrants and third sector services. You can also send us a message via Messenger. We will respond to messages as soon as possible.

Refugee Advice Center

Legal counselling by phone (Mondays 14:00–16:00): +35845 237 7104
You may also send questions by email: paperittomat@pakolaisneuvonta.fi

Guide in pdf format

Below you can also find the information on this page in pdf format, if you wish to download and print the guide.