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In a life-threatening situation, always call 112. Emergencies are chest pain, seizuring, acute shortness of breath, unconsciousness, stroke symptoms, a car crash or fire. On this page, you can find information of urgent help regarding health care, social welfare and rescue services in North Ostrobothnia.
Read more below
Health care emergency services
The Medical Helpline conducts an initial assessment of the need for care over the phone and provides instructions if necessary. The number is free of charge and can be called 24/7.
Health care professionals will guide you to the appropriate location for treatment and give advise on how urgently you need to seek treatment. If your condition can be treated with self-care, you will be provided with care instructions.
If you cannot reach the Medical Helpline
If the situation is serious and you cannot reach the Medical Helpline within a reasonable time, you can go directly to the emergency department. You can also go to the emergency department without contacting the Medical Helpline if you are unable to make a phone call or chat.
What to do if the call is misdirected?
Calls made from the border of North Ostrobothnia may sometimes be directed to the Medical Helpline of another region. If the number 116 117 for the Medical Helpline does not work or connects repeatedly to the Medical Helpline of another area, you can call the backup number for the North Ostrobothnia Medical Helpline at 050 564 3226. Calling the backup number will cost the same as a regular phone call.
If you have fallen ill suddenly or you need urgent care, seek medical attention at your health care centre. You are probably in need of urgent care, if your condition has significantly worsened or you suffer from sudden pain. Your health care center will help you during office hours.
What happens when I seek treatment for an urgent situation at a health care centre?
- A nurse will assess your situation when arriving at the health care center.
- Further care will be provided and necessary examinations will be done by medical professionals.
Find the contact information of your health care centre by choosing your municipality of residence by clicking on the link below. The information on the following pages is in Finnish.
If you are in need of urgent care during evenings or weekends, call the Medical Helpline number 116 117 for instructions.
In the evening, at night and on weekends emergency clinics are open in Oulu (OYS), Oulainen (Oulaskangas), Raahe and Kuusamo. Before going to the emergency clinic, please call the Medical Helpline number 116 117. A medical professional will assess your need for emergency care by telephone and provide you with instructions and advice.
In a life-threatening situation, call the general emergency number 112.
When should I contact the emergency department?
The emergency departments treat injuries and illnesses that cannot wait until the next day. Urgent situations that require emergency care are for example
- excessively bleeding wound or vomiting of blood
- bone fractures
- chest pain
- sudden confusion
- shortness of breath
- sudden severe headache or abdominal pain
- psychosis, self-destructiveness or other mental health problems requiring urgent treatment.
At the emergency department, we always assess the need and urgency for treatment first. Based on this, you will be referred to a nurse or doctor. Please note, that patients are treated in the order of urgency, not in the order of arrival.
Contact the emergency dental care without delay if your teeth or jaw has been injured in an accident or you have excessive swelling that makes it difficult to either fully open or close your mouth. Also continuous and heavy bleeding after a tooth removal, a tooth ache that will not go away when you take painkillers or severe swelling combined with a high fever or breathing problems, are reasons to contact the emergency dental care immidiately.
What should I do in a dental emergency situation?
- During office hours, please contact your dental clinic.
- If your dental clinic is closed, call the Medical Helpline number 116 117 for instructions.
- On evenings, nights, weekends and public holidays, the emergency dental care for all residents of the wellbeing services county of North Ostrobothnia, is arranged in Oulu:
Visiting address:
Dentopolis, Aapistie 3, 90220 OULU
Opening hours:
Weekends and public holidays from 10 am to 3 pm.
Weekdays from 4 pm onwards.
Before going to the emergency dental clinic, please call 044 703 6426.
Please note that the emergency dental clinic does not fix chipped teeth, repair loose fillings or address problems with prosthetic devices or detachable orthodontic devices. In such cases, please contact your dental clinic the next working day.
We take care of childbirth at Oulu University Hospital (OYS) every day of the week, at any time of the day. When coming to give birth, you do not need to call in advance.
When should I go to the hospital?
Usually mothers come to the OYS Maternity Ward Reception if contractions have begun, their water has broken, or bloody discharge has occurred. Some mothers also arrive by appointment due to their pregnancy going overtime, for a planned caesarean section or induced labour, or for an assessment of the method of labour.
The Maternity Ward Reception also functions as the Emergency Clinic for pregnant women. If you experience extensive bleeding or have signs of labour before your pregnancy has reached full term, contact your own maternity clinic during office hours. On evenings, nights and weekends, call the OYS Emergency Clinic for Pregnant Women.
Contact information for OYS Maternity Ward Reception and Emergency Clinic for Pregnant Women:
Tel. 08 315 3198
Visiting Address:
OYS, building A, 3rd floor
Kajaanintie 50, 90220 Oulu
There is a separate entrance for labouring women at ground level and from the Kuuraparkki parking garage. Follow the signs for ‘labour’.
Social welfare emergency services
If you are in need of urgent care in matters concerning mental health, contact your health care centre or emergency clinic for help. A referral to the OYS Psychiatric Emergency Clinic can be provided by a primary care doctor at the health care centre or joint emergency clinic.
The social emergency and crisis service provide help by professionals 24-hours a day in cases of social emergency or crisis. It will be ensured that social services and acute crisis assistance are immediately available in situations that require urgent measures such as unexpected and traumatic life situations. These services are free of charge.
The social emergency and crisis service in open 24/7 and helps you in urgent social welfare matters
You can contact the social emergency yourself or the service can be contacted by a confidant, a friend or an authority. The social emergency and crisis service provide telephone advice, guidance and on-site assistance in various sudden situations, including the following:
- family and intimate partner violence
- assisting the victim of a crime
- child welfare matters
- concern for an adult
- problems of the elderly or the disabled
- accidents and crises, for example being target of violence or a serious crime, suicide attempt or sudden death of someone close to you.
Social emergency and crisis services also offer consultation and executive assistance to authorities outside general office hour in various sudden situations.
Contact information for the social emergency and crisis service:
- 044 703 6235 (if your municipality of residence is Hailuoto, Ii, Kempele, Kuusamo, Liminka, Lumijoki, Muhos, Oulu, Pudasjärvi, Taivalkoski, Tyrnävä, Utajärvi or Vaala)
- 044 479 3644 (if your municipality of residence is Alavieska, Haapajärvi, Haapavesi, Kalajoki, Kärsämäki, Merijärvi, Nivala, Oulainen, Pyhäjoki, Pyhäjärvi, Pyhäntä, Raahe, Reisjärvi, Sievi, Siikajoki, Siikalatva or Ylivieska)
In non-urgent matters, the services are primarily provided by family and social services or services for the elderly in your area of residence.
Anyone, who is concerned about a child’s wellbeing, can submit a child welfare notification. Child welfare notifications can be made by both private persons and by public officials. For more detailded information, please contact a social worker. After the submission of a notification, the matter will be investigated within social services or child welfare services.
Submit a child welfare notification, if you are concerned about a child’s wellbeing
The aim of child welfare is to guarantee a child’s balanced development and wellbeing in a safe environment. Child welfare is divided into child and family specific, as well as preventive, child welfare.
Rescue services
The duties of North Ostrobothnia Rescue Services include accident prevention, rescue operations, preparedness and civil defence. The coherent rescue services system in Finland covers all types of incidents from daily accidents to major disasters.