Ministers

Minister of Social Affairs and Health

The Minister of Social Affairs and Health Hanna Sarkkinen deals with the following matters:

  • health insurance (daily allowances and reimbursements)
    • parenthood allowances
    • sickness allowances
    • reimbursements for medicines
    • reimbursements for travel expenses
    • health insurance reimbursements
    • reimbursements for organising occupational healthcare
    • employer’s funds
  • unemployment security
  • rehabilitation organised by Social Insurance Institution Kela
  • pension security
  • housing allowance for pensioners
  • employment accident, motor liability, patient, life and non-life insurances
  • insurance market
  • general housing allowance
  • maternity grants
  • conscript’s allowance
  • child benefits
  • child home care and private care allowances
  • pharmaceutical service
    • production, wholesale and retail sale of medicines
    • compulsory stockpiling
    • medicine reimbursement system
  • disability benefits
  • labour protection
  • Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations STEA as well as Veikkaus Oy and its proceeds
  • preparedness coordination

Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services

The Minister of Family Affairs and Social Services Krista Kiuru deals with the following matters:

  • social welfare
    • child welfare
    • social welfare and services for persons with disabilities, including interpreter services
    • care for alcohol and drug abusers
    • services for older persons
  • preventive social policy
  • health services
  • patient safety
  • publicly funded pharmacotherapy under the Health Care Act and related pharmaceutical service
  • prevention of communicable diseases
  • national vaccination programme and vaccine procurement
  • free-of-charge treatments under the Communicable Diseases Act and the Client Fees Act
  • public health
  • mental health
  • rehabilitation
  • health promotion
  • environmental healthcare
  • alcohol, drug and tobacco policy
  • gambling-related harm
  • health protection
  • home and leisure accidents
  • domestic violence and violence against women
  • occupational healthcare, excl. reimbursements
  • social assistance
  • maternity and child health clinics
  • school and student healthcare, school welfare services
  • family and parenting support, family social work
  • healthcare and social services for families
  • sexual and reproductive health
  • state reform schools
  • wellbeing, inclusion promotion and social exclusion of children and young people
  • front veterans’ issues
  • farmers’ holiday and stand-in scheme
  • central government transfers to local government

Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality Thomas BlomqvistLink to an external website is responsible for equality and non-discrimination matters.

Assistants to the Minister

Secretary

Päivi Saarimaa, tel. +358 (0)2951 63535 

State Secretary

Juho Orjala, p. 02951 63424

Secretary: Susanna Miettinen, tel. +358 (0)2951 63045

Special Advisers

Jiri Sironen, tel. +358 (0)2951 63410

Secretary: Susanna Miettinen, tel. +358 (0)2951 63045

  • international and EU affairs, pension security and private insurance, as well as communications.

Petra Malin, tel. +358 (0)2951 63508

Secretary: Susanna Miettinen, tel. +358 (0)2951 63045

  • pharmaceutical services, family benefits, Funding Centre for Social Welfare and Health Organisations STEA, and Veikkaus proceeds.

Mikko Aarnio, tel. +358 (0)295 163 709

Secretary: Eevi Tynkkynen, tel. +358 (0)2951 63589 

  • social security reform, unemployment security, housing allowance, health insurance, occupational safety and health, capacity and ability to work and wellbeing at work

Assistants to the Minister

Secretary

Maria Vanhanen, tel. +358 2951 63525 

State Secretary

Eila Mäkipää, tel. +358 2951 63632 (phone calls only)

Secretary: Riikka Mononen, tel. +358 2951 63531 

Special Advisers

Jenny Suominen, tel. +358 2951 63387 (phone calls only)

Secretary: Minna Westerholm, tel. +358 2951 63336 

  • communications and media relations, healthcare system, health and social services reform, maximum waiting times for access to care, and matters covered by the Ministerial Working Group on Coordinating COVID-19 Response

Otto Köngäs, tel. +358 2951 63109 (phone calls only)

Secretary: Noora Manni, tel. +358 2951 63534 

  • issues involving alcohol and drugs, mental health, and services for older people and people with disabilities and children and young people

Petteri Nurmi, tel. +358 2951 63603 (phone calls only)

Secretary: Minna Westerholm, tel. +358 2951 63336 

  • social assistance, international affairs, and rehabilitation

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