There is a message from Finnish nurses and doctors to the population: “Stay at home”.
In social media channels spread images shared by Finnish medical staff asking people to avoid unnecessary movement outside the home.
One of these pictures was taken at Meilahti Hospital. According to Helsingin Sanomat, anesthesia and surgery staff appear in the picture and holding a flag, which is a direct request: “We work for you, stay at home for us, thank you.”
This is a new social media campaign because of coronavirus (koronavirus, in Finnish) and all over the world health care staff are asking people to stay at their homes.
The Helsinki and Uusimaa Hospital District (HUS) also shared a picture on Instagram Asko Järvinen, head of infectious diseases at HUS is holding a paper which says: "We work for you. You stay well at home and protect yourself, your loved ones and us."
TOOLS AND EQUİPMENT SHORTAGE
Esa-Pekka Pälvimäki, a neurosurgeon at HUS, said in a Twitter post how doctors are concerned about the availability of the equipment.
“Greetings from the morning ward of the intensive care unit. We are five doctors working on how to save masks, jackets, gloves. To whom is put, to whom not. There are now, but we know in a few weeks there won't be".
Pälvimäki mentioned Italy as a warning in his Twitter posts.
He said, “A month ago, 20 coronary infections were detected in Italy. There are now 53 578 cases and 4 825 dead."
On Saturday Italy reported 793 new coronavirus deaths.
Pälvimäki continued, “Get out of those evil bars and go home, or I'll come and violently remove you as soon as my hospital shift ends. Do you want another Italy here?”
He also strongly criticized the National Institute of Health and Welfare (THL). Pälvimäki wanted lockdown. He said if THL does not change its policy and not starting lockdown lots of people will die.
The neurosurgeon urged authorities to start a large-scale testing and isolation program. Currently, only patients with severe respiratory symptoms are tested.
Hyvät ihmiset, koska Suomi ei teitä eristä, eristäkää itse itsenne. Näin tästä selvitään. Muuten ehkä ei selvitä. Ollenkaan.
— Esa-Pekka Pälvimäki (@eppe) March 21, 2020
There has been a fierce debate in Finland about why not all Finns take government instructions seriously to prevent the spread of Covid-19. And also why the government is not ordering more severe measures.
MALLS ARE STILL OPEN
On Saturday Prime Minister Sanna Marin said in an interview with Ylen that the government is prepared to restrict movement from Uusimaa to elsewhere in Finland if the corona situation worsens.
The government can also put in place a curfew if needed, but Marin hopes that it will not have to go in, but that people will comply with the restrictions now in place. However, still all the big malls also cafes and clubs are open in Helsinki and people are still going there.
Some people criticized the government and want a curfew. Restrictions to people's movements have now been introduced in other countries to prevent rapidly increasing infections from overburdening their healthcare system.
