Inquiry Regarding the Establishment of Tallinn Hospital (no 762)
Session: 15th Riigikogu, Fifth Session, Plenary Session
Date: 2025-06-03 01:00
Participating Politicians:
Total Speeches: 27
Membership: 15
Agenda Duration: 32m
AI Summaries: 27/27 Speeches (100.0%)
Analysis: Structured Analysis
Politicians Speaking Time
Politicians
Analysis
Summary
The eighth item on the agenda addressed questions related to inquiries concerning the construction of Tallinn Hospital. The inquirers are members of the Riigikogu, Tanel Kiik, Lauri Läänemets, Ester Karuse, Reili Rand, and Andre Hanimäe, and their wish was to receive clear answers and decisions regarding the construction and financing of Tallinn Hospital, rather than simply presenting political criticism or separate analyses. The inquiry was formally submitted and then responded to by the Minister of Social Affairs, Karmen Joller. Formally, the topic was addressed more broadly through the planning of connecting Tallinn’s hospitals and building a new medical campus, involving the City of Tallinn and, where possible, Tartu University Clinic, and discussing various financing and timeline options. Based on the text, there was a reflection of the effort to gain assurance and a unified position on both the organization of specialist medical care and the axis of large-scale investments within the context of North Estonia's healthcare.
Decisions Made 2
The continuation of merging Tallinn hospitals and the creation of a single legal entity together with the involved parties (Tallinn City, Tartu University Hospital) and the distribution of services and infrastructure coordination; developing a plan based on a cooperation agreement regarding the organization of training and service guidelines.
Within the supplementary budget, create a line for a financing transaction that enables the capitalization of Tallinna Hospital; involve the government and ministries’ budget processes accordingly and assess service needs before raising a large investment proposal.
Most Active Speaker
The most active representative was Riina Sikkut (ceP4u0B31_k), who operated primarily within the context of the opposition and the Reform Party, acting as a detailed speaker throughout discussions, and whose role in stepping forward was clearly critical and explanatory. Her position on the right-wing/left-wing spectrum is defined as "other" or more precisely "left" (SDE) – in this context she represents left-wing views and a critical, non-coalition position.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Hussar announced that today's eighth agenda item is the interpellation concerning the establishment of the Tallinn Hospital, which was submitted by Riigikogu members Tanel Kiik, Lauri Läänemets, Ester Karuse, Reili Rand, and Andre Hanimägi on April 24th of this year, and he asked Andre Hanimägi to introduce the interpellation.
Andre Hanimägi
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Andre Hanimägi stressed that the Tallinn Hospital requires a modern building and improved infection control, and requested a clear answer from the Minister of Social Affairs regarding whether the hospital's construction is supported, what decisions have been reached, which funding model applies, and when the building work could actually commence.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Speaker called upon the Minister of Social Affairs, Karmen Joller, to the Riigikogu rostrum to respond to the interpellation.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Social Affairs Minister Karmen Joller stated that establishing the Tallinn unified hospital and the new medical campus is a necessary step for streamlining specialized medical care for Northern Estonian residents. She further noted that the government has decided to proceed with the unification, but stressed that before major investments are made, the necessity of services, the infrastructure, and the spatial requirements must be evaluated. This process requires the involvement of the Tartu University Hospital, the City of Tallinn, and the Ministry of Finance to clarify potential financing models and European Union support options, and to set a realistic starting year for when services will commence at the new hospital campus. The primary priority for this endeavor is a functional and unified organization supported by a comprehensive investment plan.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chair thanks the participants, notes that there are questions, and invites Züleyxa Izmailova to answer them.
Züleyxa Izmailova
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Züleyxa Izmailova criticizes the fact that although the government approved the development guidelines for the hospital network in December 2024, including the consolidation of the hospital network in Tallinn and the plan to merge four hospitals, the same government is unwilling to implement those decisions half a year later. She asks what has changed and why the objective has been lost.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Social Affairs Minister Karmen Joller said that nothing has changed and the coalition agreement states that the merging of Tallinn hospitals will continue, but in a more considered manner.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Andre Hanimägi to take the floor.
Andre Hanimägi
Profiling Fraktsiooni mittekuuluvad Riigikogu liikmedAI Summary
Andre Hanimägi argues that further analysis and additional design work feel like unnecessary delays. He points out that analyses have been completed recently and services should be viewed holistically. However, despite the potential establishment of the Tallinn Hospital and the general uncertainty surrounding hospital investments, he questions what supplementary analyses are still required and why the analyses already conducted are deemed insufficient.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Joller noted that the Tallinn Hospital development plan is outdated and requires a review concerning funding, the optimization of the healthcare network, and the emphasis placed on outpatient and primary care services. He also stressed the importance of cooperation between the state and the City of Tallinn in ensuring the substance, logistics, and training of doctors so that the entire system functions cohesively.
Reili Rand
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Reili Rand is asking the minister how to guarantee the availability of specialists and access to healthcare services in smaller regional hospitals, given the trend over the last decade where an increasing number of healthcare professionals are moving into the private sector.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar asks Reili Rand to come.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
For healthcare to meet demographic trends, it is necessary to assess population movement and disease risks in each region and focus on concentrating services in large hospitals, while simultaneously bringing the necessary services for the elderly and people with chronic illnesses closer to their homes, and taking into account regional specificities, such as the unique characteristics of Hiiumaa.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar thanked the minister and explained that he had rung the bell to prevent the discussion from being interrupted, before inviting Riina Sikkut to take the floor.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut emphasized that healthcare is a state responsibility, and before establishing a new legal entity, the state must take the lead, involving the University of Tartu in the council of the new legal entity, so that the needs of Northern Estonia can be mapped out comprehensively.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
During the presentation, Social Minister Karmen Joller emphasized that healthcare is the state's responsibility, but local authorities play a significant role in securing infrastructure; Tallinn has carried out a legal merger, and this is welcome, but before a new institution is established, its content and impact on the healthcare system must be clear, and infrastructure must not be built immediately if the conditions and needs have not been negotiated.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The speaker addressed Jaak Aab and asked him to take the floor.
AI Summary
He said that the development plans for Tallinn Hospital had been thoroughly coordinated between the Ministry of Social Affairs and the hospitals, and that they should be updated, if necessary, in cooperation with the project implementers and the city, rather than being completely restarted from scratch, in order to achieve results more quickly.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller emphasizes that she has initiated a healthcare restructuring aimed at preventing unjustified delays, reducing the volume of patients in outpatient specialist care by one third, and shortening waiting lists. Furthermore, she intends to clarify service volumes, where fewer specialists might be needed for a specific pool in the future—for example, two cardiologists instead of three—and to review the entire Estonian healthcare network and the plans for the Tallinn Hospital.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
The Chairman invites Lauri Läänemets to the stage.
Lauri Läänemets
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Lauri Läänemets stresses that even though the work has been completed and the agreements and development strategies are already set, the new minister is obligated to review them and clarify the reasons for any change in policy, as the government should not be reliant on a single individual.
Sotsiaalminister Karmen Joller
AI Summary
Minister of Social Affairs Karmen Joller notes that the construction of the Tallinn hospital is a lengthy process, emphasizes the importance of support for doctors, and confirms that the plan will proceed according to the coalition agreement.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar gave thanks, noted the sunset, stated that the questioning had concluded, and announced that he was opening the debate and inviting Riina Sikkut to the podium.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut stresses that the merger of the four Tallinn hospitals and the establishment of a unified healthcare institution must be carried out immediately, operating under a single legal entity and offering jointly planned services. This must utilize the current political window and the supplementary budget for funding to avoid fragmented solutions and ensure a long-term optimal outcome for Northern Estonia.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Speaker Lauri Hussar says that three minutes of extra time is needed.
Riina Sikkut
Profiling Sotsiaaldemokraatliku Erakonna fraktsioonAI Summary
Riina Sikkut stressed that the legal consolidation of the four Tallinn hospitals is necessary because the close cooperation and shared diagnostic equipment between the two regional hospitals—the Children's Hospital and the North Estonia Medical Centre—do not guarantee optimal service delivery. Furthermore, having a single hospital entity allows for the planning of infrastructure investments to ensure modern services can be provided in the North Estonia region going forward.
Esimees Lauri Hussar
AI Summary
Chairman Lauri Hussar expresses his thanks and announces that the requests for the floor have concluded, thereby closing the debate and concluding the consideration of this agenda item.