Estonians increasingly travel to other counties for medical care

Patients across Estonia are increasingly travelling to other counties for medical care as services concentrate in larger centres, ERR reports. In Võru and Põlva counties, nearly 70 percent of doctor visits take place outside the patient’s home county.

Tartu resident Olga Margulis said she could not find a timely appointment for her child with a paediatric ophthalmologist at Tartu University Hospital in September. Because the concern needed prompt attention and no appointment was available in the coming months, the family went to a private clinic.

The family also sought advice about whether the child’s adenoids needed surgery. They found an appointment at Põlva Hospital with a surgeon from Tartu. The surgeon later performed the operation at Tartu University Hospital.

Patients from Tartu and Tallinn also travel to Viljandi Hospital. The hospital’s board member, Mart Kull, said the number of contacts with patients whose permanent residence is in Tartu County had risen from about 500 in 2022 to nearly 5,000 a year now.

Kull said that for some specialties, waits at larger hospitals can be four to six months, while patients may receive care at Viljandi Hospital in less than a month.

The Health Insurance Fund says demand for some specialists, including dermatologists, gynaecologists and psychologists, exceeds the available capacity. Its specialist-care portfolio manager, Marko Tähnas, said mental health services may be more accessible in Viljandi County than in Tallinn.

The fund also says services are concentrating in larger centres. Tähnas said that when demand for a service is low, offering it in fewer locations can help maintain quality by allowing teams to carry out more appointments in the same facilities.