The Daugavpils regional hospital continues to experience an acute shortage of medical personnel - the deficit of specialists is felt both among local doctors and those arriving through scholarship programs.
The situation is partially alleviated by medical professionals from Ukraine; however, the staffing problem remains systemic. According to the head of the institution, Inta Vaivode, there are currently 17 employees from Ukraine working at the hospital. Most of them have adapted well to the team. Since autumn 2022, spouses Viktoria and Alexander Bezghany have been working here: she is an oncologist, and he is an anesthesiologist. Before moving to Latvia, they lived in Kherson and were under Russian occupation for several months. When the opportunity to leave arose, they chose Latvia on the advice of colleagues who had already settled here.
"For many, Daugavpils has become a good starting point for integration into Latvian medicine," notes Inta Vaivode. However, according to her, there is still a shortage of doctors. The influx of Ukrainian specialists only partially solves the problem, LSM+ reports.
Moreover, there is serious competition among hospitals in Latvia for staff. Even the scholarship program aimed at attracting young specialists does not ensure a stable influx of doctors. Some of those who have completed the mandatory five years under the agreement with the city leave Daugavpils. It is not uncommon for other institutions to "poach" medical professionals by offering to pay the remainder or the entire amount of their training costs.
Currently, the hospital needs at least twenty doctors of various specialties - from therapists to narrow specialists.
