Birth of a new EU agency

SOC I A L AG E NDA / J U LY 2 0 1 7 / 2 5 © Belga Image Mobile healthcare facility: an EU funded project in the South Karelia district of Finland brought medical services directly to rural residents. The project is funded by the EU via a scheme called ‘Women in Construction’, which offers training and skills exclusively for women who are interested in a career in the construction sector. Learning on the job ‘I am glad to be able to follow this training’, says Sylvie Dehais, a trainee who benefited from Habiter au Quotidien in 2018. ‘Learning is done on the job, with Roland Negluau, our Companion of Duty, who is not only our teacher but also our mentor’. ‘As well as being a rewarding professional experience that gives us skills and know-how, it is a human experience which enables us to regain self-confidence, and discover new skills previously reserved for men’. The project beneficiaries are put in a position to practice a range of construction skills through practice-based learning, including rendering, decorating, tiling and floor laying in a safe environment. After five months of learning on a construction site, they undertake a professional work placement. This provides them with further professional experience and helps them become more confident, master professional skills and enhance their employability. Doorstep services Healthcare is the sixteenth of the principles and rights of the European Pillar of Social Rights. In Finland, an estimated 40% of people live in predominantly rural areas, one of the highest rates in the EU. While there are many benefits to a rural lifestyle, there are also challenges when it comes to accessing services such as healthcare – particularly for elderly people with limited mobility. The “Mallu does the rounds” project in the South Karelia district sought to address this issue by bringing medical services directly to rural residents. In 2010, a bus was outfitted as a mobile healthcare facility and dedicated nurses toured the region, offering flu vaccines, removing stitches, providing health guidance and monitoring blood pressure. The bus continued to tour the region in the following years, with services expanding to include dental treatment, issuing prescriptions and visiting schools. Thanks to the bus, elderly and vulnerable patients were able to easily access the healthcare services they needed. Less appointments The project also helped to lighten the load for medical professionals at regional health centres, by reducing the number of patients needing appointments with doctors. “When services are centralised, distances grow”, Jukka Kärkkäinen from the Finnish National Institute for Health and Welfare says. “Mobile services are a very good thing for clients. Clinic buses can bring many tests and procedures closer to residents”. The Mallu bus project covered an area with a least 100 000 potential patients. It was particularly effective when it came to supporting independent living among elderly residents. It helped to maximise the cost-effectiveness of regional healthcare and improve the efficiency of regional health centres. Data collected from Mallu’s daily activities was made available to health authorities to aid the development of their existing service network. The project received €48 000 in funding through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development from 2011-2013, as part of the EU’s support for accessible and affordable healthcare. SOC I A L AG E NDA / NOV E MB E R 9