Anti-tuberculosis measures in Tampere

In 1912 physicians in Tampere established the Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Tampere, which was the local branch of the national Finnish Anti-Tuberculosis Association. The association decided to build a folk sanatorium in Tampere, which was completed on the hills of Kauppi in August 1915. Dr. Anna Wikander was selected as physician for this 30-bed sanatorium. However, there were far more tuberculosis patients than the Kauppi Sanatorium was able to admit.

The executive committee of the Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Tampere put forward its proposal of organising an anti-tuberculosis programme in Tampere to the town board of health care. The programme in question included a proposal for the foundation of a tuberculosis hospital with 75-100 beds with the town’s support. The proposal was particularly geared towards for prevention of the spread of tuberculosis. This proposal led to the foundation of the Central Häme Sanatorium, in other words the Pikonlinna Hospital.

In 1929 the city of Tampere assumed responsibility for maintaining the Kauppi Sanatorium from the Anti-Tuberculosis Association of Tampere. The main responsibility for the treatment of tuberculosis was entrusted to the Central Häme Sanatorium after the ownership of Kauppi Hospital was transferred to city of Tampere. Pikonlinna developed into a hospital which was far better equipped than the Kauppi Sanatorium and provided the most advanced therapy of its day. During that time the Kauppi Sanatorium was transferred into an institution providing treatment for patients with chronic illness.