The plan is there, but... doctors and nurses - alas! 0 7

The Ministry of Health, as previously reported, has prepared a new plan for the reorganization of the hospital network. Instead of five levels of hospitals, there will be three. The hospitals will be divided into multidisciplinary, regional, and local hospitals.

The plan looks beautiful and logical on paper. But how will it work in practice?

Since the plan was submitted for public discussion, the biggest criticism has been about the lack of personnel, noted in an interview with Latvian TV by the chairman of the Latvian Hospital Society, Evgeny Kaleis:

"For example, for 20 surgical beds (that is, for 20 patients - ed.), there should be 4 doctors. One for every five patients. This is an unrealistic criterion. No hospital in Latvia can meet this. Including the university hospital. There are not enough specialists anywhere."

The deputy chairman of the Health and Social Care Workers' Union, Liga Sirinaya, also pointed out the personnel issue: "Yes, perhaps the number of doctors is specified. But nurses, nursing assistants are not even mentioned yet. And shouldn’t we still keep specialized departments in the regions, such as a children's department...".

Birth rates continue to decline. Therefore, maternity wards will definitely be closed in those hospitals where only a few children are born each month.

As reported by the news service of Latvian TV, it is cheaper for the state to pay for a future mother's accommodation near a large maternity ward while waiting for childbirth than to maintain an entire department.

"Before childbirth, a young mother stays in a hotel for 3 days; this type of assistance for mothers is used by Scandinavians. Patients undergo examinations in the hospital, while waiting for surgery in a hotel. This is much, much cheaper. We can do this in Latvia too," explained the director of the Health Department of the Ministry of Health, Sanita Janka.

And care for elderly and chronic patients will be entrusted to local hospitals.