Meilahti Emergency Department, Haartman Hospital

You do not need a referral to seek treatment at the health center emergency clinic. During Mon–Fri 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m., the primary place of treatment for the residents of Helsinki in cases of sudden illnesses and minor injuries is their local health center. 

The specialist medical care emergency services are on call around the clock. For specialist medical care emergency services, you need a physician's referral, but in case of an emergency, you may also seek treatment without a referral. 

Before coming to the emergency clinic, call the Medical Helpline at 116 117. In an emergency, always call 112.

If you already have a referral to the emergency clinic, you do not need to call the Medical Helpline.

The most common symptoms that you should always have looked at in an emergency clinic:

• chest pain
• stroke symptoms, such as sudden flaccidity or incapacity of a limb or speech difficulties
• profuse bleeding (e.g. vomiting of blood, large bleeding wound)
• major injuries and bone fractures
• sudden severe headache
• difficulty breathing
• suddenly occurring or increasingly severe abdominal pain
• mental health problems requiring urgent treatment

At the hospital emergency clinic, we always assess the need and urgency for treatment first. Based on this, you will be referred to a nurse or physician. Patients are treated in the order of urgency, not in the order of arrival. Because of this, a patient who has arrived after you may be admitted for treatment before you.