Emergencies and emergency services

Lead-in paragraph

In the event of an emergency, always call 112. If you have other urgent health matters while your health station is closed, use the Omaolo symptom checker or call the Medical Helpline, 116 117.

To help us serve you more quickly, please use only one channel at a time. In case of an emergency, always call 112.

What to do in the event of an emergency or urgent situation while your health station is closed

If you or another person are experiencing symptoms such as chest pain, difficulties with breathing, paralysis symptoms, loss of consciousness, heavy bleeding or convulsions, the situation is an emergency. In such a situation, contact the emergency response centre by calling, mobile app or text message. The emergency response centre responds around the clock.

Call the number 112
- You can call the number with any phone, even without a SIM card.
- Wait patiently and do not hang up even if the line is busy.
- Answer the questions asked and follow the instructions given.
OR, use the 112 Suomi mobile app
- If you use the 112 Suomi app, your location data is sent automatically to the emergency response centre.
- See the instructions for downloading the app(Link leads to external service)
OR, send an emergency text message
If you are unable to speak or hear, you can send an emergency text message.
- Send a message to the number 112 and provide the following details:
  - the municipality and address of the emergency location
  - what has happened
  - any additional details
  - your name.

If you fall ill in the evening, at night or during a weekend and need an urgent assessment and care, use the Omaolo symptom checker or contact the Medical Helpline. Omaolo and the Medical Helpline are open around the clock.

Use the symptom checker

If you need urgent care, first use the symptom checker in the Omaolo service. Omaolo is open around the clock, every day of the year.

When you use the Omaolo symptom checker, you will receive an assessment of your care needs and instructions. After logging in, you can send your symptom assessment to a health care professional via the service if necessary. We will contact you within two hours by phone or Omaolo message.

Find the right symptom checker for your ailment

Note! You cannot use Omaolo on behalf of a child. However, people aged 15 and over can use the service online after strong electronic identification. You can also use Omaolo on behalf of a family member or other close person if you have been granted authorisation. Read more about authorisation on the Omaolo website(Link leads to external service)
OR, call the Medical Helpline
If you do not want to use the symptom checker, you can call the Medical Helpline free of charge. We will tell you how quickly you should seek treatment and direct you to the right care facility. If there is no need for you to visit the health station for emergency services, you will receive care instructions by phone.
- Call the Medical Helpline number 116 117(Link starts a phone call)
- If the Medical Helpline is busy, you can either queue or submit a callback request.
- Health care professionals will give you instructions.
Read more about the Medical Helpline(Link leads to external service)
OR, send a text message to the Medical Helpline

If you are unable to speak or hear, you can send a text message to the Medical Helpline. See the instructions on sending a text message(Link leads to external service)
OR, visit the health station directly for emergency services
In urgent situations, you can visit the emergency services of HUS directly if you are unable to contact the Medical Helpline within a reasonable time or cannot make a call. If you already have an emergency service referral, you can come to the health station directly without calling the Medical Helpline.
- Adults and persons aged 16 and above: Malmi Emergency Department (Link leads to external service) or Meilahti Emergency Department(Link leads to external service)
- Persons under the age of 16: New Children’s Hospital (Link leads to external service)

Poison Information Centre

At the Poison Information Centre, we take calls to answer questions related to preventing and treating sudden poisoning. We serve the entire country and provide citizens and health care professional with advice around the clock.

Call +358 800 147 111(Link starts a phone call)

Our other emergency services

Emergency social services

The emergency social services unit assesses the need for urgent social welfare services outside office hours. For example, our duties can be related to concerns about a child’s, elderly person’s or disabled person’s ability to manage at home.

Crisis emergency services

The crisis emergency services provide crisis help to Helsinki residents and people visiting Helsinki in situations such as accidents, violent incidents or the sudden death of a loved one.