Kouvola’s Ratamokeskus emergency service may continue overnight after government discussions

Kouvola’s Ratamokeskus emergency service may continue operating overnight after all. According to information obtained by Iltalehti, the government is expected to make a decision on this matter on Thursday. Reports indicate that maintaining around-the-clock emergency services will come with a condition that it should not jeopardize staff sufficiency or the financial health of the Kymenlaakso welfare area.

Discussions regarding the fate of Kouvola’s emergency services took place during a ministerial meeting on Monday, though no final decision was reached. While Iltalehti notes that a decision remains uncertain, it appears likely.

The government’s previously decided hospital network solution will also be addressed within the Sustainable Welfare Society Ministerial Working Group on Thursday. In the spring budget framework discussion, the government outlined that overnight emergency services in Iisalmi, Jämsä, Kouvola, Raahe, and Varkaus were set to cease by the end of 2025. However, this policy seems to be changing specifically for Kouvola, which will not receive any separate state funding for the overnight service.

The proposal to terminate the overnight service at Kouvola’s Ratamokeskus has faced significant opposition throughout the year. According to calculations by the Kymenlaakso welfare area, shutting down the service would not yield savings but rather increase costs due to more ambulance transports to the Kymenlaakso Central Hospital in Kotka.

Individuals have actively opposed the closure with a petition signed by 40,000 people and by organizing protests, including one held in Helsinki during the summer.