"Currently, many residents of Riga (certainly not just them) are experiencing problems with medical care specifically for children. I have encountered the fact that, firstly, there are no flu vaccines for children in Riga — no one in the clinics and vaccination points could tell me when they would be available. This causes great concern among parents during the epidemic season.
The second "surprise": starting from the new year, an ultrasound for children at our children's clinic (Imanta) will cost 69 euros. I was informed that the free service will no longer be provided.
I was also unable to get information at the clinic about whether there are still healthcare institutions in Riga where ultrasounds can be done under state quotas, and where and how to find out when flu vaccines for children will be available.
Not within our competence
Ilze Udre, head of the communication department of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention:
– State-funded vaccination is carried out by family doctors. If the vaccine is unavailable in the family doctor's practice, one can contact other healthcare institutions (after getting in touch with them).
Children aged 6 to 23 months (inclusive) and children aged 24 months to 17 years (inclusive) who belong to risk groups due to health conditions can receive state-funded vaccination against seasonal flu from their family doctor.
Adults who belong to such groups also have the right to free flu vaccination:
- pregnant women,
- individuals aged 60 and older,
- healthcare workers and support staff,
- employees of long-term social care centers and others.
As for paid flu vaccination, this issue is not within the competence of the Center. Healthcare institutions order the vaccine from commercial wholesale companies themselves, specifying the required volume.
Look for where you can
Kitija Grina, deputy head of the public relations department of the National Health Service (NHS):
– Since the question does not specify a particular healthcare institution, while several healthcare institutions in the Imanta district have an agreement with the NHS for providing state-funded medical services, including ultrasounds for children, we provide information about the situation in general.
State-funded ultrasounds for children in Riga/Riga region are provided by several healthcare institutions. If a specific state-funded service is unavailable at the nearest or logistically convenient healthcare institution, or if it takes too long to wait for it, one can try to obtain it at another medical institution that also has an agreement with the NHS.
Once a month, healthcare institutions summarize information about waiting lists, and the NHS publishes it on the website www.rindapiearsta.lv. On this website, you can find out:
• which healthcare institutions provide the necessary examination at the state's expense; • what the approximate waiting time for the examination is.
To get real-time information about the length of the queue and to make an appointment, you should contact the registration office of the specific healthcare institution where the service you need is provided. You can also call the general free information phone number 80001234.
