Measures in Soite
Changes in Soite due to the coronavirus epidemic
According to information from the Finnish institute of health and welfare THL, it is likely that the coronavirus epidemic is going to spread, although no epidemic has yet been detected in Central Ostrobothnia.
Soite has imposed restrictions in order to prevent the coronavirus epidemic from spreading, and has moved personnel to the units where they are needed the most. This is why:
- Soite has opened separate infection receptions at the main health care station in Kokkola and the health stations in Kannus and Tunkkari.
- Soites health centres, the emergency clinic and social services are open and serve clients. If a client is given an appointment to Soite, a professional person has come to the conclusion, that coming for treatment entails a smaller risk for the patient than leaving the health problem untreated. We want to stress that it is safe to come to Soite and that it is recommended that health problems are treated in time. Otherwise, they may get worse and lead to a need of urgent care in the emergency clinic, in specialised health care or in social services.
- The opening hours have changed in some units in Soite. See the list below.
- Some non-urgent appointments and operations have been cancelled. Clients have been informed personally of the changes.
- Visits to Soite's units are prohibited!
- We recommend clients use our electronic services to as great an extent as possible.
- Do not go to work if you have symptoms of the common cold or are otherwise ill. An incapacity to work may be approved by the boss for seven (7) calendar days and we recommend this practice for all employers in Soite’s area, so that the health care units aren’t burdened with requests for sick leave notes.
- Soite has forbidden its employees from making any work trips and we recommend that they avoid travelling outside Central Ostrobothnia even in their spare time.
- Soite’s personnel predominantly has meetings with the help of remote connections, and some of the personnel work from home.
Link: Do this if you suspect a coronavirus infection
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Changes in opening hours in Soite due to the coronavirus epidemic
We want to guarantee urgent care during the epidemic that is as good and of as high a quality as possible. Soite imposes restrictions in order to prevent the coronavirus epidemic from spreading, and is getting prepared to move personnel to the units where they are needed the most.
This is why the opening hours change in Soite’s units, and some of the non-urgent appointments are cancelled. The situation is assessed daily, and the new opening hours and changes in Soite are updated on this list.
Soites health centres, the emergency clinic and social services are open and serve clients. If a client is given an appointment to Soite, a professional person has come to the conclusion, that coming for treatment entails a smaller risk for the patient than leaving the health problem untreated. We want to stress that it is safe to come to Soite and that it is recommended that health problems are treated in time. Otherwise, they may get worse and lead to a need of urgent care in the emergency clinic, in specialised health care or in social services.
Changes in opening hours
Mainly patients that need urgent care are treated on the outpatient clinics at the central hospital. Depending on the coronavirus situation, necessary non-urgent care is also given.
There are changes in the opening hours in the following units (the list has been updated on the 29th of May 2020):
- Coronavirus testing is done at the infection receptions at the health care centres: at the main health care station in Kokkola (formerly known as the coronavirus clinic) and at the health care stations in Kannus and Veteli (Tunkkari). All patients with a cold who need to come to a reception are treated at an infection reception.
- The health care centres and stations also take care of non-urgent patient matters. Always contact your health care station by phone or electronically using the Omahoito application before coming to the station or centre. Omahoito is currently used at the main health care station in Kokkola: preparations are made to get it into use in the whole of Soite's area.
- The following changes in the opening hours apply to the health care centres and stations:
- The Lohtaja health care station is open on Tuesdays and Fridays, the laboratory is open on Wednesday mornings
- The Ullava health care station: the reception is open on Wednesdays
- The nurses’ reception at Halsua health care station is closed
- The Lestijärvi health care station is closed. The laboratory is open on Mondays.
- In the Kruunupyy area, the receptions are centralized to the health station in Kruunupyy (the receptions in Alaveteli and Teerijärvi are closed)
- If the reception is closed, the laboratory is also closed if nothing else is mentioned.
- Patients are urged to contact the diabetes/cardiac/respiratory nurse in order to book an appointment. Please contact by leaving a request to be called back or via the Omahoito application.
- The goal is to begin with fundus photography - we will inform about this in the near future.
- Materials for outpatient care can be ordered by phone, 044 730 7611, Monday to Friday between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m or electronically via the palse.fi portal. The products are delivered to the client's door. The driver calls the client before delivering the products. More information: soite.fi/hoitotarvikejakelu
- Diphteria-tetanus, pneumococcal, and TBE shots are given at Soite's receptions and child health clinics. Read more in this article in Finnish.
- In oral health care, the following receptions are closed:
- Kruunupyy
- Lestijärvi
- Toholampi
- Halsua
- Koivuhaka
- Torkinmäki
- The oral health care clinic in Perho
- Urgent cases and tooth ache is treated based on booked appointments at the following oral health care clinics:
- Tunkkari
- Kannus
- Teerijärvi
- The main health station in Kokkola (on Mariankatu)
- Kälviä
- Contact by phone!
- Only the acute and urgent operations are carried out in the operating room.
- The cancer outpatient clinic and the haematology outpatient clinic are open with limitations.
- Soite's dietitians begin working remotely on 31st of March 2020 and the patient care is carried out by phone
- The antenatal classes and visits to get acquainted with the birth unit are cancelled.
- The possibilities for a support person to take part in visits with the pregnant woman are expanded in Soite. A symptom-free support person who lives in the area of the maternity hospital may, starting on the 1st of June 2020, take part in the care after the delivery. A symptom-free person may also be present at a planned cesarean section.
- The support person may, for the time being, not be present when outpatient care is given (ultrasound screening, visits at the maternity clinic, emergency visits or check-ups if the baby is overdue). The support person may also not be present when labour is induced and when the patient is cared for on a ward for other reasons before the delivery.
- The restrictions are toughened again if needed, if the number of coronavirus cases increases in the area of the maternity hospital .
The children’s hospital:
If the coronavirus situation continues to be calm in Soite’s area, non-urgent outpatient care is expanded gradually when it comes to paediatrics, child neurology, child psychiatry and adolescent psychiatry. The goal continues to be to mainly provide non-urgent outpatient care remotely (e.g. by phone or video). Patients and families are informed of a new appointment if the time is moved forward or changed.
Urgent and acute care is guaranteed in all situations (e.g. care on ward for children and youths and intensive care of the newborn).
In the paediatric emergency clinic (lasten päivystys), the care of all patients under the age of 16 who present symptoms of infection has been concentrated to a separate infection unit with a separate entrance and its own personnel. The paediatric emergency clinic works normally when it comes to non-infectious diseases (call 06 826 4444 before coming to the emergency clinic).The support of the rehabilitation counsellors in the neuropsychiatric team is available by phone and video on 040 804 3526/Susanna and 040 804 3527/Tanja. Consultation support within Soite and for cooperation partners is also given remotely. The families are contacted about arrangements when it comes to appointments that have already been agreed on.
- Maternity and child health clinics and family planning and contraceptive counselling centres :
- The maternity and child health clinics and family planning and contraceptive counselling centres are open normally.
- During the pandemic, we strive to restrict contact with clients at the clinics and coming to the clinic if one has symptoms of the cold is prohibited. We recommend for safety reasons that, as a rule, only the pregnant mother comes to the maternity health clinic, but the partner may come e.g. to a first visit, an extensive health check and to acknowledgment of paternity. We also recommend that only one parent comes with the child to the child health clinic. If the family is in need of special support, both parents may come to the clinic.
- Home visits are carried out when needed, but if a member the family has symptoms of the common cold, please call the nurse at the child health clinic before the home visit. The nurses always use face masks and protective gloves on the home visits.
- The clients are mainly cared for at their own clinics, but clinics have been centralized as follows:
- All doctor's receptions at the maternity clinics in Kokkola and Kruunupyy are centralized to the Isokylä clinic in Kokkola
- In the Kruunupyy area, the maternity and child health clinics are centralized to Alaveteli maternity and child health clinic.
- The maternity and child health clinics in Lohtaja and Ullava are closed and the clinics are centralized to Kälviä.
- The maternity and child health clinic in Halsua is closed and the clinic is centralized to Pajala in Kaustinen.
- Clients have again been given times for mass screenings of papa tests.
- School and student health care:
- As the pupils return to school, the school nurses also return.
- During this spring, the school nurses mainly do the extensive health checks for pupils in year 1, 5 and 8 that are required by law
- The pupils are vaccinated in accordance with the vaccination programme.
- The health checks before enrolment for military service are carried out as planned.
- The information desk at the central hospital is open from 7.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- The dining hall at the central hospital is only open for employees and only as a take away restaurant
- The café Kuppi at the central hospital is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Neurology and rehabilitation:
- Patients that need urgent care and an increasing number of patients in need of non-urgent care are treated by the nurses and doctors on the outpatient clinic of physiatrics, neurology, chronic pain and rehabilitation examination. When possible, some of the appointments are carried out by phone and remotely.
- When it comes to outsourced rehabilitation, rehabilitation may continue if it is essential for health and/or development or if there is a risk the client's situation will worsen significantly if the rehabilitation is interrupted for a long time. When possible, the service is carried out remotely.
- Soite carries out rehabilitation remotely if possible, but if it is not possible, rehabilitation can be carried out on outpatient clinics, in daycare, in school or at home.
- The centre for assistive devices continues its work with restrictions. The lending of assistive devices is open. Please call the centre for assistive devices or the lending of assistive devices before you visit the unit.
- Psychiatric services for adults and services for alcohol and drug abusers:
- In psychiatry for adults, planned client work is carried out by phone and partly as visits to the receptions.
- In housing and support services for clients in mental health rehabilitation:
- the planned contacts are carried out through meetings and by phone.
- Day and work activities for clients in mental health rehabilitation start on the 1st of June 2020 with special arrangements
- The group activities at Siilinpesä and Puolivälinkoti start on the 1st of June 2020 with special arrangements.
- In services for persons with addictions, including the team in the river dales (Jokilaakso), the planned contacts are carried out through meetings and by phone.
- Please also see the information on services for drug and alcohol addicts and mental health services (in Finnish).
- In social services for adults:
- Koivutupa is closed. Can be contacted by phone.
- Social work for adults and integration services only based on booked appointments in all units in Soite
- Social counselling (phone 040 806 5093) and social work for adults (phone 06 826 3030) are open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- The planned client meetings are mainly carried out by phone or as remote meetings. The clients are informed about how the meetings will be carried out.
- The group activities in social work for adults have started gradually from the end of May. Attention is paid to the recommendations about hygiene and distances to other persons.
- The rehabilitative work activities are opened on the 1st of June 2020. Clients of Soite’s social services may again take part in rehabilitative work activities at the workplaces for work activity starting on the 1st of June 2020. The recommendations that have been given are followed when work activities are arranged. It is possible to continue with web training and remote work activities until the 31st of July 2020 as needed.
- Please also see the information on social services in Soite during the coronavirus situation
- There may occur disturbances in the client transports. We recommend our clients only move outside their homes if necessary.
- The following changes in opening hours apply to the services for the disabled:
- The development clinic: serves its clients normally
- Work and day activities: the activity centres are open from the 1st of June 2020 with special arrangements
- Green care is open from the 1st of June 2020 with special arrangements
- Community employment is open from the 1st of June 2020 with special arrangements
- Non-institutional social care and early rehabilitation is partially reduced
- The disability service bureau: visits at the bureau only based on booked appointments. Work with clients is carried out as remote work
- Personal assistance: partially reduced
- Asuva’s unit is closed.
- More information and specifics: www.soite.fi/vammaispalvelut
- The following changes in opening hours apply to nursing and care:
- The health clinic for seniors Daalia opens telephone appointments on the 1st of June 2020
- The health clinics for seniors in the river dales (jokilaaksot) open telephone appointments on the 20th of July 2020
- The plan is that the rehabilitative day activities for the elderly will open on the 3rd of August 2020 (please observe that the date may change depending on the coronavirus situation)
- The cycle rickshaw is not in use as long as visits are not allowed in housing services
- The gyms at Honkaharju, Kuusikumpu and Tervakartano are closed
- Day activities are closed
- The geriatric outpatient clinic and the memory team:
- The geriatrician and the memory nurse will care for urgent and, increasingly, also for non-urgent patients at their receptions starting on 18th of May 2020: memory examinations and memory checks, certificates on driving permission for persons with a memory disorder. Some of the check-ups are still done by phone. A memory examination done by a memory nurse and visits by the memory team may also be carried out as home visits; this option is first discussed with the patient.
- Please always phone first and book an appointment.
- The doors to the units are still locked.
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