Providing health and social services for these people outside the urban areas is an economically demanding task even in this wealthy country. A physician working in Northern Lapland may need three days just to participate in a training seminar held in the nearest Northern city, Rovaniemi. The MedicaRing health service is a new approach to improve rural area health care while making it more cost effective. MedicaRing is a unique concept for three reasons. Firstly, most of the project is based on student work and participation from different educational institutes.
Students equip the van and provide the health care services as a part of their education.
Secondly, people in Finland are used to travelling to health care centres or hospitals for physical examinations, and this time it can be done right in their backyard. The third factor is the advanced telemedicine, which is the first application of telemedicine provided from a moving office or 'platform'. MedicaRing has direct wireless connections to health centres and to central hospitals. PT-Autopalvelut Ltd donated a suitable delivery van, which was then converted into a mobile health care van at the Kajaani Polytechnic with Telecom Finland's professional help and GSM phones. Telecom Finland has invested heavily in fixed network services in the sparsely populated areas of Finland.