Tallinn Doctors Demand New Hospital to End Fatal Newborn Transfers
Pediatricians in Tallinn are urging the construction of a new maternity hospital directly connected to the city's main children's hospital, arguing the current fragmented system creates life-threatening transport delays for critically ill infants and wastes public funds.
- —Pediatricians in Tallinn are calling for the construction of a maternity hospital adjacent to Tallinn Children's Hospital to prevent life-threatening delays in transferring critically ill newborns.
- —Doctors highlight that the current fragmentation of maternity and neonatal intensive care across the city puts vulnerable infants and mothers at risk due to logistical challenges and transport delays.
- —The appeal to the Ministry of Social Affairs points out inefficiencies in the current system, including funding for multiple NICU facilities despite falling birth rates and staff shortages, which they deem a misuse of public funds.
- —The Ministry of Social Affairs and the Tallinn city government are reportedly weighing options, with discussions including potential mergers of healthcare facilities and state ownership transfers.
- —Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller has expressed support for closer integration of the North Estonia Medical Center (PERH) and Tallinn Children's Hospital, favoring a merger.
Recap
The appeal by Tallinn's pediatricians uses the critical issue of newborn safety to force a resolution to systemic inefficiencies in the capital's healthcare infrastructure. The debate is now less about the medical necessity, which is clear, and more about the political and financial terms of consolidating care, pitting the Ministry of Social Affairs against the Tallinn city government in a negotiation over hospital ownership and funding. The outcome will determine the future structure of maternal and infant care in the city.