Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis-related instructions for
- Students of health care and social work
- health care and kindergarten teacher students and students of logopedics
Tuberculosis information on this page and self-assessment form are for the students without symptoms. If you have symptoms related to tuberculosis, contact either by phone or SelfChat.
Section 55 of the Infectious Diseases Act requires employers to request, in certain situations and in order to protect their patients or clients, that social or health care students starting practical training at a social services or healthcare unit undergo a reliable assessment to ensure that the students do not have pulmonary tuberculosis. This assessment is extremely important as a student with pulmonary tuberculosis may pass on the infection to patients or clients being treated, whose immunity is often impaired. The assessment includes an interview and, if necessary, a chest X-ray. The tuberculosis assessment is performed for students working at social services or healthcare units
- who were born in a country with a very high incidence of tuberculosis compared to Finland (> 150/100,000 annually)
- have lived at least 12 months or worked in healthcare for at least 3 months in a country with a very high incidence of tuberculosis (>150/100,000 annually)
- have treated patients with tuberculosis in any country
- have been in close contact with a patient with contagious pulmonary tuberculosis.
If the person’s working duties include caring for newborn infants, the tuberculosis incidence limit for the person’s country of birth or employment is lower, >50/100,000.
If you belong to any of the above high-risk groups, you should contact your FSHS unit no later than a month before your practical training starts to get assessed for tuberculosis. A certificate will be compiled on the basis of the assessment and should be submitted to your practical training location.
The assessment is not required if less than 2 years have passed since your previous assessment and you have not been re-exposed to tuberculosis.