Pihlajalinna, a private company that offers social and healthcare services in Finland for the public sector, was in the news earlier this year concerning the negligent care of its clients in elderly homes. The company also runs an asylum reception center in Jämsä, which has a bed bug (lude in Finnish) problem.
Bed bugs (Cimex lectularius) are insects that feed on human blood. Their bites can cause several health problems like skin rashes.
According to an asylum seeker at the reception center, 30-40 people are suffering from bed bugs. The problem started before November 2018.
“The company that is supposed to fumigate the bed bugs has been here over 20 times, and we still have the problem,” said a resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he is an asylum seeker. “It’s always the same story: they fumigate, but the problem persists.”
The asylum seeker alleges that Pihlajalinna tries to save money to maximize profit, and this explains why the bed bug problem persists at the reception center.
This is a developing story that will be updated.