Health care services

During the military service, you will have access to health care services free of charge.

Enter into service feeling well! All long-term illnesses must have been examined and taken care of and injuries treated prior to the service.  While in service, it is primarily possible to only examine and treat illnesses contracted and injuries sustained during the service time.

Entry health examination

All persons who start their military service will undergo entry health examination during the first two weeks of service.  If needed, your fitness for service will be re-evaluated.  The examination will include being interviewed by a nurse, and if necessary, an appointment by a general practitioner physician.

Vaccinations

The Ministry of Social Affairs and Health makes decisions concerning vaccinations to be given to conscripts.   According to the Communicable Diseases Act, vaccinations are taken on a voluntary basis. Declining to take vaccinations does not prevent anyone from completing their military service, or lower their fitness for service class.  The vaccinations are given during the first two service weeks.

•    Tetanus-diphteria-pertussis (dtap)
•    Meningitidis ACWY,
•    Measles-mumps-rubella (MPR) and
•    Seasonal influenza

Depending on the local circumstances, other vaccinations may also be given (for example, tick-borne encephalitis).

Before entering into service, double check your vaccination information at your local municipal health care centre or student health care centre and bring this information documented with you when entering into service.

The garrison circumstances tend to offer plenty of room for viruses and other pathogens to spread around those who remain non-vaccinated.  Diseases have a tendency to become increasingly difficult in adult age.  For these reasons, for example, the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health has ordered the Defence Forces to provide the vaccinations listed above to all conscripts.

Health care services while in military service

From PVMoodle, you can print out (https://www.pvmoodle.fi/login/index.php) ”Sairastajan opas”, which provides you with information in a nutshell about health care services while in service.

Garrison health care centres will arrange for health care services for all who are doing their military service.  Specialised medical care will be provided by public hospitals. You can have access to examinations by a specialist in the public health care sector with a referral from the garrison health care centre.  

Please note that the garrison health care centre is not authorised to give any information to your family concerning your state of health without your written permission.

During office hours, you can ask for instructions at the health care centre of your unit. The health care centres will be accessible on weekdays.  These services will also cover the military training exercises and live firing exercises.  Detailed instructions concerning the garrison-specific health care service practicalities will be given at the start of the military service.  You can call the garrison health care centres via the Finnish Defence Forces’ switchboard,  Tel. +358 299 800.

Outside the office hours of the health care centres there will always be a national helpline available for those in military service.  If you become ill or injured while on leave, you can obtain information and instructions around the clock by calling:

• Tel. +358 299 576 888 in Finnish
• Tel. +358 192 242 800 in Swedish

If you become ill or injured while on leave,  always call your company (equiv.), and inform your brigade duty officer or guard commander, and your unit’s health care centre.

Questions or feedback concerning health care?

Contact primarily the health care centre that treated you.  Discuss with the persons who treated you, and tell them how you feel about the treatment.
If you wish to file a notice, the garrison patient ombudsman will assist you.  The patient ombudsman’s contact information is available at the health care centre.

Social support network

If you end up facing problems or issues that you would like to discuss while in military service, there will be help available. Your closest superiors, for example your section leader and your instructors will aid you in all matters relating to military service. When necessary, you can also always turn to the commanding officer of your company-level unit.

Social welfare officers and military chaplains will be helping and supporting you while in military service. Peer support will be available by the conscripts of the Conscript Committee and also, for example, when sending a private message to the social media agent conscripts of one’s own contingent’s Facebook group.

Do not ruminate on your problems alone but rather turn to your social support network for help without hesitation!

Social welfare officers will help you in civilian life matters

The social welfare officer available at your brigade-level unit will offer you advice on how to deal with your civilian life matters while in military service. This involves helping you with social security issues (income support and military allowance), matters relating to choice of profession and guidance on studies and working life. In addition, the social curators will aid you in the sorrows that you may encounter and help in coping while in service.

Don’t hesitate contacting your brigade-level’s social welfare officer even before the service starts if necessary!

Military chaplain will be supporting you

The purpose of the ecclesiastical work is to offer mental and spiritual support for conscripts and sustain their ethical capability. All conscripts irrespective of their conviction are welcome to turn to the military chaplains, Orthodox priests and Lutheran ministers employed by the Finnish Defence Forces. During the service time, the military chaplains give lessons attended by conscripts, and those with no church affiliation attend study events in general ethics.