FinnHEMS is a state-owned company established in 2010. The company provides and manages nationwide medical helicopter services in cooperation with wellbeing services counties and the HUS Group. FinnHEMS is a non-profit company whose operations are financed through government funding from the national budget. In 2024, FinnHEMS received 44.7 million euros in state aid.
On call 24/7
We have seven bases nationwide, operated by our subsidiary FinnHEMS Lentopalvelut Oy. Our helicopters and on-call crew are on standby 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. FinnHEMS provides flight crew, helicopters, emergency vehicles, and bases for medical helicopter operations.
FinnHEMS as part of the
emergency care chain
FinnHEMS’s main task is to provide high-quality emergency medical services in sudden and life-threatening situations as part of the emergency care chain. Its wide range of operation and rapid response capability ensure that the public has equal access to emergency medical services. Helicopters and on-call crews are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The helicopter crew is most commonly composed of an emergency physician, a HEMS paramedic or HEMS rescuer, and a pilot.
Getting treatment to the patient quickly
Medical helicopter units typically receive their calls via the emergency response centre, which answers emergency calls from citizens. The primary task of the helicopters is to transport medical care to the patient as quickly as possible. The focus of operations has also shifted more toward patient transport by helicopter. This allows more patient groups to benefit from air transport, improving the overall effectiveness of the service.
HEMS is an internationally recognised abbreviation for Helicopter Emergency Medical Services.