Medical students investigated after unauthorized late-night gathering at Helsinki hospital

HUS and the University of Helsinki are investigating after first-year medical students continued a social gathering inside Helsinki's Meilahti hospital without permission.

The students initially attended a freshman event in spaces granted to them at the hospital. As the evening continued, some moved through general areas of the hospital, used bicycles intended for staff transfers and borrowed protective clothing meant for hospital personnel.

They did not enter areas containing patients or patient records. HUS security director Toni Lahti said medical students receive access rights according to the needs of their studies, and those rights are intended for movement within hospital premises during working hours.

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We are now investigating how the events unfolded.

The incident came to the attention of HUS and the university after the students contacted the head of their training programme. The hospital's security organisation then confirmed what happened. The faculty said the students told officials they had consumed alcohol but denied being drunk. The group is believed to have included nine first-year medical students, whose identities are known to the faculty.

Faculty dean Johanna Arola said the events are still being examined and that the students will be heard before any further action is decided. "We as a faculty certainly do not allow this kind of behaviour from our students," she said. HUS also said it disapproved of what happened. A correction clarified that university tutors, rather than a medical students' association, organised the event, and the faculty did not disclose which hospital building hosted the gathering.

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We as a faculty certainly do not allow this kind of behaviour from our students.