Daugavpils Regional Hospital LLC fired nearly 50 employees - citizens of Russia and Belarus - on the last working day of January, the medical institution confirmed to the LETA agency.
The hospital reported that the termination of employment with the workers is directly related to the requirements of the national security law regulating the protection of critical infrastructure. This provision stipulates that citizens of Russia and Belarus must not be employed in critical infrastructure categories A, B, and C or in particularly significant critical infrastructure on a European scale if the work involves access to information or technological equipment important for the functioning of critical infrastructure. Such employment is only permitted in exceptional cases with a separate permit from the security institution.
Daugavpils Regional Hospital is a critical infrastructure facility, and therefore the institution is obliged to ensure compliance with the requirements of national security regulations.
Considering the specified restrictions, employment relationships with 49 workers were terminated based on Part 5 of Article 115 of the Labor Law, which provides for the employer's obligation to immediately terminate the employment relationship if the worker's employment is prohibited by law and it is not possible to provide them with another suitable job with the worker's consent.
Among those dismissed were middle and junior medical staff - 29 workers, of whom 11 were of retirement age. Additionally, 20 employees from the maintenance service lost their jobs, three of whom were of retirement age.
A request has also been sent to the Security Police for a re-examination of seven medical professionals.
"Daugavpils Regional Hospital operates in accordance with current regulations and in close cooperation with responsible state structures. At the same time, necessary measures are being taken to ensure uninterrupted medical assistance to patients and to maintain the stable operation of the institution," said hospital representative Julia Kasecka to the LETA agency.
Vacancies are planned to be announced to fill the positions.
According to "Firmas.lv", approximately 1,700 employees work at the hospital. The institution's turnover in 2024 was 54.23 million euros, with a profit of 197.3 thousand euros.
The shareholders of the hospital are the state, Daugavpils municipality, Augšdaugava municipality, and the University of Latvia.
It is worth noting that the healthcare system in Latvia is struggling with a shortage of personnel.
