Warm thanks to everyone who helped spread the word and joined the email campaign to save the Tammisaari Maternity Hospital. Unfortunately, opponents of the hospital won in a 9-8 vote. I can't believe it was so close!
Dear friends,
Are you interested in natural childbirth? If so, read on, join the email campaign to save Tammisaari Maternity Hospital, and forward this information to your friends and networks. Feel free to copy and paste any of the information below to your blog, emails, etc.
If not, please excuse this break from our regular programming and do come again next week!
Warm weekend wishes to you all!
Many thanks,
Michele
Save Tammisaari
On 12 October the Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) Board of Directors will meet to determine the future of the Tammisaari Maternity Hospital, a certified World Health Organization/UNICEF baby-friendly hospital. The closure has been promoted in an effort to shut down smaller maternity wards and centralize obstetric care in few large hospitals.
Tammisaari is the only maternity hospital in Finland specializing in natural birth that is open to all women, regardless of municipal residence. Tammisaari is also unique because it boasts one of the few remaining maternity wards in Finland with full Swedish-language support. With approximately half of the population surrounding Tammisaari identifying Swedish as their mother tongue, the hospital is an invaluable resource in the region.
Email addresses of all board members are provided below. Also included below, for your convenience, is a model letter that you can cut and paste into your email. You are naturally welcome to use your own words if you prefer. The model letter is a translated and edited version of the one listed on the email campaign website.
Let’s save Tammisaari!
Useful links
Email campaign website (in Finnish and Swedish only; Google Translate
seems to do a fairly good job with Swedish to English translations)
UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative
WHO Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative
Board member email addresses
tuomas@nurmelantuomas.net
sirpa.asko-seljavaara@
anja.roos@pp.inet.fi
karel.mcleodsmith@pp.inet.fi
ari.oksanen@nakinhammas.fi
reijo.vuorento@kuntaliitto.fi
rolf.paqvalin@kerava.fi
eija.gronfors@pp.inet.fi
johanna.nuorteva@iki.fi
tony.hagerlund@iki.fi
anna.cantell-forsbom@vantaa.fi
hans.blomberg@sipoo.fi
satu.manner@lohja.fi
marjaleena.laine@kotiposti.net
timo.auvinen.lh@vantaa.fi
elina.ikonen@helsinki.fi
pekka.karma@helsinki.fi
Model letter
Dear HUS Board of Directors,
I have followed with concern the discussion surrounding the proposed closure of
the Tammisaari Maternity Ward.
This closure was suggested on the basis of saved resources; however, according to information now available to the public, these savings might not be achieved, though the termination of Tammisaari is still being proposed.
Tammisaari Maternity Ward is in many ways a pioneer in
mother- and baby-friendly childbirth culture in Finland. It was the first
maternity ward in Finland to receive WHO/UNICEF Baby-Friendly Hospital
certification. In Finland today, there are only three hospitals which meet the
certificate criteria. In comparison, nearly all Norwegian and Swedish hospitals
are certified as are over 6,000 in China.
Giving birth is an important, relevant experience not just for the mother and baby, but also for families and the wider community. Tammisaari Maternity Ward supports the expectant mother’s wishes and provides care in a way that larger hospitals cannot. Women should have the right to choose, and get support with, birthing through natural means. Closing Tammisaari will limit women’s birthing options and cause Finland’s childbirth culture to take a big step back.
Vote to save Tammisaari Maternity Ward!
