Health in Oulu

Here you can find information on the services available in Oulu. Other important information on this topic is available at Health.

Read more about coronavirus on the page Coronavirus COVID-19.

Oulu has health centres throughout the city which provide health services. Each health centre has their own telephone number for appointments to see a nurse or a doctor. On weekdays, you can also visit the health centres in urgent situations.

Many matters related to health and social services can also be handled online at Omahoitopalvelu. On this website, you can make appointments, view laboratory results and send messages to the staff. Using the service requires online banking credentials.

Medication 

In Finland, medication can only be bought at a pharmacy. Self-care medication can be bought at a pharmacy without a doctor’s prescription.

Newing a prescription

You can renew a prescription for medication at a health centre. Prescriptions are primarily renewed using ePrescriptions, which doctors create and sign electronically. The ePrescriptions are stored in a centralised database called Prescription Centre. Patients can then use their Kela cards to pick up their medication at any pharmacy.

 

Further information Medication

Appointments 

You can make an appointment at a health centre by telephone. If the line is busy, you can leave a call request by pressing 1. Call requests are responded to as soon as possible.

Haukipudas health centre (Simppulantie 15) 08 558 54600

Höyhtyä well-being centre Välke (Latokartanontie 1) 08 558 44333

Kaakkuri health centre (Pesätie 11) 08 558 44510

Kaijonharju health centre (Kalevalantie 5) 08 558 44228

Kiiminki health centre (Terveystie 1) 08 558 59312

Kontinkangas health centre (Kajaanintie 46 A (main building) and 48 A-B) 08 558 44333

Myllyoja health centre (Karvarinaukio 16) 08 558 44366

Oulunsalo health centre (Kauppiaantie 10) 08 558 73401

Rajakylä health centre (Ruiskukkatie 4) 08 558 44428

Tuira health centre (Kangastie 12) 08 558 44477

Yli-Ii health centre (Kirkkokuja 2) 08 550 58280

Ylikiiminki health centre (Vesaisenlinnantie 2) 08 558 70722

Health services for immigrants provide healthcare-related services to immigrants with a refugee background for two years from their immigration.

Nurses of the immigrant health services:
Telephone: 044 703 4881
Telephone: 044 703 4882
Telephone: 044 703 5217

Psychologist:
Telephone: 040 537 8690

Appointments with the laboratory of the City of Oulu are reserved through Nordlab.

You can also make an appointment by calling 0206198019.

The number of instructions and advice-related to laboratory tests or preparing for them is 08 558 44355.

The appointment booking number for the maternity and child health clinic is 08 558 44356.

Laboratory tests require a referral from a municipal doctor. (Referrals from private or occupational health doctors are not accepted.)

Private health services 

There are also separate private health services in Oulu.

On weekdays in urgent cases, you can seek help at the emergency clinic of your local health centre. In the morning and evening, at weekends and during public holidays, health centres are closed, and health services are provided by the joint emergency services of the City of Oulu. Before going to the emergency clinic, it is advisable to call and describe the problem. Calls are answered at all hours. Patients are treated in order of urgency.

The joint emergency services are provided in connection with the Oulu University Hospital at

Kajaanintie 50, entrance A1
Telephone: 08 315 2655

Further information: Emergencies

Maternity clinics offer services to families that are expecting a baby and children under school age. You can also call the clinics and ask for advice. The number for appointment bookings and enquiries is 08 558 44356.

School health care provides health care to pupils in primary and upper secondary school.

Further information: Child health

There are separate health care services for students. There are separate medical, dental and mental health services for university students.

The Aino senior advisory service is a local information service for the elderly. You can ask about services provided by the city and the private and third sectors. The advice is free of charge for senior citizens and their family and friends.

 

The city's dental clinics are open on weekdays. You can make an appointment by calling 08 5584 6430.

On weekends and public holidays, on-call dental services are provided at Aapistie 3 (Kontinkangas). Please call first 044 7036 426.

Further information: Dental care

Mental health services provide residents of Oulu with help and support during crises through psychiatric care and rehabilitation as well as home services. If you need help in mental health matters, you can first contact your health centre, which will then refer you to further treatment.

You can contact the mental health emergency service in a crisis situation.

Emergency mental health services for adults:
Telephone: 044 703 5940

Emergency mental health services for children and young people
Telephone: 044 703 5919

Calls made to the on-call number in the evenings and at weekends are directed to the psychiatric ward, where a nurse will answer them.

Further information: Mental health

Your local health centre can provide assistance in matters related to contraception and family planning. If you are contemplating the termination of your pregnancy, please contact your school health services, student health centre or a local health centre. Abortions are performed with a doctor's referral at the OUH Department of Gynaecology. If you suspect you have a sexually transmitted disease, please contact your school health services, student health centre or a local health centre.

Further information: Sexual health

If you think you are pregnant, make an appointment at a maternity clinic. Telephone number is 08 558 44356. The well-being of the mother, baby and the whole family is monitored at a maternity clinic during pregnancy.

Oulu University Hospital is the local maternity hospital.

Maternity ward 
Visiting address: Kajaanintie 50, B2:2 (Kontinkangas)
Telephone: 08 315 3198

Read more: Pregnancy and childbirth and When a child is born in Finland.

 

The immigration services of the City of Oulu provide basic social and health care services to persons with a refugee background who live in Oulu as well as support their integration through social services for the first three years and through health services for the first two years (the period of time is calculated from the customer's first entry into the population register after a residence permit has been granted). After the integration period, customers will be covered by necessary regular social and health care services. In other words, customers do not include other Oulu-based immigrants or families with a foreign spouse, for example. Further, all families in which the integration period of any family member has ended are covered by general social services.

Most customers have come to Finland as asylum seekers who move to Oulu after they have received a residence permit. The City of Oulu also has an annual quota of 50 refugees within which refugees and asylum seekers, who have been granted a residence permit and who are under the age of 18, are accepted. In addition, the family members of customers who move to Oulu as part of the family reunion will become our customers within the integration period of their family member living in Oulu.

In principle, customers are directed to immigration services from reception centres in Oulu and Northern Finland after they have received a residence permit. A customer relationship is terminated at the end of the integration period or sooner if the person moves away from Oulu. If a person gets married or moves in together with a Finnish partner, the customer relationship with immigration services is terminated even though the integration period would have continued; in that case, the customer relationship is transferred to adult social services and basic health care, if necessary. At the end of the integration period, the customer relationship is transferred to regional social services if it is considered necessary.

All general professional and ethical principles of social work apply to immigration social work. However, there are some special characteristics and customer relationships are affected by, for example, the ethnical background and culture of customers, traumatic life experiences and the adaptation process into Finnish society. Customers are often very dependent on authorities at the initial phase of integration. Refugees that are part of the quota in particular are completely dependent on the authorities of the receiving country at the initial phase. Customers need many kinds of help at the initial phase but this dependency is the basis for forming an autonomous, adult responsibility of life in a new society together with support from authorities. A personal social worker, a social counsellor and a public health nurse are assigned to every customer and they support the customer during integration and help with increasing their own life management. In accordance with the Act on the Promotion of Immigrant Integration, social workers prepare an integration plan for all customers which is an individual plan for an immigrant taking part in measures and services that are aimed at supporting the immigrant's possibilities to acquire sufficient Finnish or Swedish skills and other information and skills necessary in society and working life and promote the immigrant's possibility to take part in the operation of society as an equal member. All customers will also receive intensified guidance on housing and daily matters from social counsellors. The intensified guidance is continued, if necessary.

The healthcare facility for immigrants contains a nurse's and a doctor's reception including access to a nurse in an emergency (sick leave certificates) and the treatment of long-term illnesses. Treatment, guidance and support are provided both as an individual appointment and in groups. Health care employees also act in the role of an expert in network meetings in cooperation with social workers and other experts. Once these health inspections are completed, the service complies with reception services.

If you are covered by Finnish national health insurance, you can apply for sickness allowance from Kela after the appropriate qualifying period. You can fill in an application form online or send it to Kela by post. You can also visit a Kela office.

KELA
Sepänkatu 18
P.O. Box 221
90101 Oulu

Further information: Support during illness

The City of Oulu organises various services for disabled people, such as aid equipment and other support. You can obtain the services from the service control unit of the City of Oulu Social Welfare Services.

Further information: Disabled people

 

The City of Oulu's substance abuse services provide advice if you want to quit using drugs or alcohol. For people under 27 years of age, the treatment is provided by Redi64 intoxicant abuse centre for young people, while those over 27 years of age receive the treatment from A-Clinics. No appointments are required.

Drug addiction 

Oulun Vinkki provides support for users of intravenous drugs and their families.

Further information:Intoxicant abuse