Medical centers and hospitals struggling to treat masses of inner Helsinki community patients.

For most people in Finland the beginning of August traditionally signals the end of summer vacations. It is not unusual for returning vacationers to be experiencing irritableness and anxiety around this time of the year. Most are simply stressed out by having to return to their working routines with nothing but darkness to look forward to for the next 8 or 9 months. It is not unusual for people to experience mild anxiety attacks.

This year however in the areas around Töölönlahti, nearly 3/5 of the population have already been experiencing unusually powerful symptoms and have had to seek medical attention. The medical centers of the Eteläinen-Suurpiiri* have been caught completely by surprise. Medical staff has been forced to work round the clock to try and cope with the mass influx of patients. Unless the number of daily patients starts to drop by end of the week, the patients well enough to drive will have to be referred to the Keskinen-Suurpiiri** medical centers. According to doctors residents of Töölönlahti area are all suffering severe sauna withdrawal symptoms. While the city officials are doing everything possible to help those suffering they have also admitted that this whole epidemic could have been avoided.

On 24.7.2007, “Sauna Obscura”, a floating wood heated public sauna was opened in the middle of Töölönlahti. The name “Sauna Obscura” is apparently derived from Latin and simply means “A Floating Public Sauna”. Despite a funny sounding name the installation is a proper working sauna, guaranteed to clean both the body and soul and to vitalize the human spirit. The problem is that apparently the “floater” as it’s become known amongst the locals was never meant to be left floating for more than 2 weeks.

Now only few more days left to go, the Töölönlahti community is already suffering in the grips of withdrawals. The city officials decision to install the sauna and only leave it for 2 weeks draws heavy criticism from the doctors and other medical professionals for lack of better planning. The whole project has already been labeled irresponsible.

Doctors are left with very little they can do aside from prescribing some mild sedatives and sick leave to those who seek help. Most fear that the worst is yet to come however, as a whole part of the inner city will soon be forced to go cold turkey.

For now the controversial floating sauna sits peacefully in the middle Töölönlahti.

“Give me chastity and continence, but not yet”

-Saint Augustine

(*) Eteläinen-Suurpiiri = The Helsinki southern (medical) district

(**) Keskinen-Suurpiiri = The Helsinki central (medical) district