Press Release: Chief Executive Officer Yrjö Närhinen to Terveystalo's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders 2018: It is now time to develop the Finnish healthcare system further

In his address to the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders, Chief Executive Officer Yrjö Närhinen highlighted the ever-important role of private healthcare services in the Finnish society and healthcare system. Now it is time for a thorough reform of the system: 

"Private healthcare services have always played an important role in the entire Finnish society and healthcare system. After the wars, Finland created the foundation and structures for a welfare state, the model for which was found in Europe. The private healthcare sector was also included as a necessary contributor to the financing of healthcare. Currently, the private sector plays a significant role in the funding of the system and, in particular, access to care.

However, healthcare costs per citizen have doubled since the beginning of the millennium, and this trend is not expected to change soon. The record-breaking speed of aging as well as high incidence of diseases of affluence further accelerate the increase of costs. Finland needs solutions to break this circle. It is now time to develop the Finnish healthcare system further together."

Mr Närhinen sees a future in which the Finnish healthcare system can be reformed in cooperation with Terveystalo. "In order to achieve the targets of the social welfare and healthcare reform, the public and private sectors need to work in close cooperation. The expertise of the private sector could be useful for more efficient use of resources and digital services to improve the access to care. A diverse market and competition are necessary for the development of healthcare services as a whole. In Finland, for instance, the population and the occupational healthcare system provide an excellent platform for development in many ways - the challenges of healthcare are global, and we have the unique opportunity to create solutions with a global significance. We need individual, preventive healthcare which strongly involves individuals in their own care but is based on active communication with healthcare professionals. Together we can make Finland a forerunner in healthcare services."  

Mr Närhinen ended his speech by thanking the personnel and customers for a successful year, highlighting the importance of quality work: "A big thank-you to the entire Terveystalo team and our customers for Terveystalo's success. We will continue to systematically develop our operations, and we also want to prompt the entire field of healthcare to work for the benefit of the Finnish society."

Terveystalo Plc

For more information, please contact:

Terveystalo communications, +358 50 358 1170, viestinta@terveystalo.com

Terveystalo in brief

Terveystalo is a listed company on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. Terveystalo is the largest healthcare service company in Finland with net sales and network. The company offers versatile primary and secondary health care services for corporate and private customers and the public sector. The nationwide network covers approximately 180 locations across Finland, complemented by 24/7 digital services.

In 2017, the Company had approximately 1.2 million individual customers and approximately 3.3 million doctor visits. Nearly 9,000 healthcare professionals work in Terveystalo, about half of whom are private practitioners. Terveystalo is a member of Association for Finnish Work. www.terveystalo.com