The Ministry of Health will work on the criteria for institutions next year during the gradual reform of hospital networks, evaluating each hospital separately, said the director of the Health Department of the Ministry of Health, Sanita Janka, at a meeting of the Latgale subcommittee of the parliamentary commission on human rights and public affairs.
She noted that informal cooperation is already taking place between several institutions. Accordingly, it is planned to assess the services that will be mandatory in each institution, based on what each hospital can do with the available human resources.
According to the chairman of the board of the hospitals of Balvi and Gulbene, Margeris Zeitmanis, the criteria for hospitals can be discussed endlessly, but the regions are waiting for a positive signal that in the near future "nothing will be closed and there will be no tension." He stated that this is especially important for the workforce attracted to the region, which may be affected by the changes.
Janka emphasized that the hospital network reform does not involve reducing the number of hospitals. There will only be a redistribution of services, and this applies to the entire country, not just the regions.
She also emphasized that no specific hospital is named in the report. "There are basic principles and tasks that we need to work on," Janka said. She promised that the planned changes will be discussed in the future, with the participation of the Latvian Hospital Association and other partners.
The reform is planned to be carried out gradually over at least five years, if not longer, Janka added.
Deputy Liga Kozlovska (Union of Greens and Farmers) expressed hope that all changes - according to all criteria - will be discussed separately with each hospital from the eastern border area.
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