Arrival at the hospital

Acute illness 

The emergency polyclinic of the Central Finland Central Hospital provides treatment 24 hours a day for patients requiring urgent care.

The telephone number of the telephone counselling at the Central Hospital Emergency Polyclinic is 0100 - 84884.

Appointment reception

Based on a referral delivered to the hospital, you will be informed the reception time or estimated wait time. 

When arriving at a polyclinic, please register as per the instructions given in the invitation. The polyclinic fee will be charged on a bank transfer form which will be sent to your home address. The exact point of time of examinations and treatments may sometimes vary from the time indicated in the invitation. Changes are possible, for example, due to unexpected emergency cases requiring immediate care. The personnel will keep you informed of any changes in the schedules. If you feel that the wait time is too long, please ask the reason and how long you will still have to wait. At the same time, you can agree about going to a cafe, for example.

Bring with you the invitation letter, prescriptions or a list of medicines you are currently taking, medicines you are taking regularly and any special medicines, available electrocardiograms, laboratory results, X-rays, and other examination results.

For child patients, bring also the child’s health information card, a copy of growth curves (contact your child guidance centre), rehabilitation feedback and statements of the child’s own physiotherapist, logopedist, occupational therapist or psychologist, feedback from the day care and/or the school. If you come to the maternity and prenatal polyclinic Gravida, bring with you also the maternity health information card.

A decision is made on possible further treatment, additional examinations, ward treatment or surgical interventions in connection with the doctor’s appointment. You will be given a new appointment time immediately, or an invitation for a new appointment will be sent to you by post. The wait times vary based on the diagnosis. 

Before a surgical operation, a patient can be invited to a separate examination or a guidance session for analysing his/her operability and for advising and encouraging the patient to participate in his/her own treatment.

More detailed information on specialist polyclinics can be found from section Hospitals and units.

Instructions for ward patients and accompanying persons

When attending the hospital invited, please register at the ward concerned.

Bring with you the invitation letter, prescriptions or a list of medicines you are currently taking, available electrocardiograms, laboratory results, X-rays and other examination results. For child patients, bring also the child’s health information card, a copy of growth curves (contact your child guidance centre), rehabilitation feedback and statements of the child’s own physiotherapist, logopedist, occupational therapist or psychologist, feedback from the day care and/or the school as well as the required accessories, school books, and, if desired, one of the child’s own toys.

Personal hygiene items are also needed at the ward (toothbrush and toothpaste, skin creams, shaving accessories, comb, hair dryer). 

At the hospital, you will wear patient clothes. If you prefer wearing your own clothes, discuss it with the nursing personnel. However, the hospital does not take care of washing of patients’ own clothes.

It is not recommended to bring any valuable items or large sums of money to the hospital, as the hospital does not make indemnity for eventual loss.  

Instructions for patients attending an examination and their accompanying persons

Examinations related to your treatment are often performed already before the doctor’s appointment. Please register at the time and place indicated in the invitation letter. Follow the preparation instructions you have been given.

If you have questions about an examination or the related instructions, please contact the unit performing the examination.

Further information on the following examinations can be found from the website of the unit concerned.

Impediment

If you have an impediment which prevents you from coming to your examinations or treatment on the specified day, or if your need of treatment has changed, please inform about this as soon as possible to the polyclinic or ward that has sent the invitation. A statutory fee is charged for an unused or uncancelled appointment.

Your invitation letter includes the contact information for postponing or cancelling an appointment.

Special health care for conscripts

The conscripts requiring special health care from the detachments located in the Central Finland region, the Air Warfare School (Tikkakoski), the Air Force Technical Institute (Halli) and the Engineer Regiment (Keuruu), are provided specialist medical care at the Central Finland Central Hospital. 

According to the contract, the treatment should start within a week from the arrival of the referral at the polyclinic concerned. Appointment reservations and other contacts to the Central Hospital are always made through the health centre of the garrison concerned.

Useful information

Useful information on taxi services, use of telephones and computers, lost property, etc. can be found from section Useful information.

Other services

Further information on cash machines, catering services, cafes, postal services, etc. can be found from section Other services.

Further information

More detailed information can also be found from the websites of the wards and polyclinics.