The additional 34.5 million euros allocated for healthcare next year is insufficient to ensure its basic functions, according to a letter sent to officials by several healthcare organizations.
They are calling for at least an additional 56.8 million euros to meet the essential healthcare needs in 2026.
Organizations emphasize that Latvia's healthcare spending is about 4% of its gross domestic product, while the average in the European Union exceeds 7%.
"This structural difference leads to a shortage of personnel, regional inequality, and a high level of patient contributions," the letter states.
The authors of the letter emphasize that investment in healthcare is not an expense, but a prerequisite for increasing productivity, innovation, and societal resilience. According to their estimates, Latvia loses more than 1.1 billion euros in economic potential each year due to preventable and premature mortality, and the healthy life expectancy of people in Latvia is 10-12 years shorter than in countries that invest adequately in their healthcare systems.
Organizations urge the government and the Saeima to immediately increase healthcare funding, especially in the areas of oncology, cardiovascular diseases, and rare diseases.
The letter was sent to the president, prime minister, parliamentary factions, and the ministers of finance and health. It was signed by the association "Saknes", the society "Sol Vere Vita", the fund "Rozā vilciens", the Latvian Association of Young Doctors, the Latvian Association of Oncologists, the Latvian Association of Oncologists-Chemotherapists, the Latvian Union of Oncological Patient Organizations "Onkoalianse", the Latvian Patient Network Organization, the Latvian Alliance of Rare Diseases, the Latvian Association of Rare Disease Specialists, and the patient society "Par sirdi.lv".
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