Nursing day at the Finnish Hospital can cost the tourist thousands of euros – Elina Björninen makes sure that the invoice will also be paid

When a foreign traveler’s dream vacation in Lapland breaks into a sudden illness, a skiing accident or a traffic core, Elina Björninen helps you arrange things.

Opening the winter tourist season in December is traditionally the busiest month in the Lapland Rescue Department. Even in one in four alarm, in some way, it is related to tourism.

Illness or injury in a foreign country can be a frightening experience.

\”Sometimes a person is so distressing that he doesn’t even remember his own name,\” says Björninen.

In times of need, language barriers, cultural differences and complex practices of travel insurance can make the situation more difficult. That is why an expert in the local care system is invaluable for the traveler.

Travel insurance will determine the cost of care and return home

Björninen’s working days are spent with patients in the hospital ward and on the phone with insurance companies. He helps in contact with close and embassies, and, if necessary, arranges an ambulance or a new return flight for a traveler whose vacation has been a nasty turn.

The goal is to ensure that the traveler will return to his home country as soon as possible so that he or she does not strain Finnish health care.

The need for service has grown with tourism. Björninen met 219 times in 2023 foreign patients, but in 2024 the figure was already 417. He was on average 3-5 times with one patient.

EU citizens’ care costs in Finland covers a European Health Insurance Card, leaving the deductible to about € 70 per day of treatment. For travelers in other countries, the price of a day of care can reach 600-1500 euros. In intensive care, the price can be up to three times.

The cost of treatment must be paid before returning home, as it is difficult to reserve. Nine out of ten travelers have insurance. Björninen hopes that travel insurance will be mandatory through the tour operator.

If the return flight flight fails, the alternatives are an ambulance flight or land transport – costs can reach tens of thousands of euros. This winter, Björninen has already organized a dozen ambulance flights.

“Must be a person for man”

Lapland tourists are extensively employed by healthcare professionals from nurses and doctors to emergency care, on -call, secretaries and financial management.

– Tourist work is teamwork. Fortunately, we have a really good and flexible group, says Björninen.

A memorable case from this winter is a bus accident in Rovaniemi during Christmas, with dozens of tourists from Singapore and China. Two people died in the accident and several were injured.

-That day, all the employees stretched, says Björninen, whose office is eight to four.

He says that foreign patients are almost invariably grateful for their help.

– Many say they have never experienced such a similar one in the world. Sometimes we get chocolate boxes in the mail to thank you.