Minister of Health and Social Services, Susanna Huovinen (SDP) says that explaining the positive aspects of reforms to the Finnish social and health care system (SOTE) will help dispel public concerns regarding the issue. In turn, she says that low ratings of social and healthcare reform are cause for introspection on the part of the government.
According to new research from the Foundation for Municipal Development, the majority of Finns believe that the so-called SOTE reforms weaken current social and healthcare services. Minister Huovinen says that the government should consider the research findings as if they were school grades.
“I think that these things should be taken seriously,” says Huovinen. “The fears and concerns in the minds of citizens should be clearly assessed and then progress can be made towards dispelling them.”
She adds that the objective of the reform is to ensure an improved, more straightforward system that delivers services to citizens better.
A Foundation for Municipal Development survey shows that 59 percent of citizens believe that service will decline. Only 16 percent estimate that the changes will bring improvements.
According to the research, Finns are also dissatisfied with how the social and healthcare reform is proceeding so far. Citizens gave the SOTE reforms a rating of 5.7.
