What if they sell them to private owners? The capital's authorities are pondering whether Riga needs two hospitals and a maternity home 0 18

We learned about this because the executive director of the capital, Janis Lange, formally requested the opinion of the Network of Patient Organizations of Latvia – a non-governmental society registered at an apartment on Thomson Street. The official's letter appeared in the city council's database.

Announce the full list

All of this, by the way, is not purely formal – but rather a serious legal process. The municipality has officially initiated a "reassessment process to make an appropriate decision by the Riga City Council by September 2026." Currently, the evaluated institutions (all in the form of LLCs) are distributed as follows:

• Riga 1st Hospital – "provides accessibility to healthcare by offering and developing quality, effective, integrated services across a wide range... as well as short-term social care services."

• Riga Maternity Hospital – "emergency, inpatient, and outpatient healthcare services in the field of obstetrics and perinatal medicine," centered around the family, which also receives social support.

• Riga 2nd Hospital – alongside the services designated for the 1st, focuses on traumatology and orthopedics.

• Riga Health Center – "a wide range of outpatient healthcare services in various districts of Riga, collaborating with social workers."

Preparing for privatization?

That is to say – all 4 respected medical institutions perform crucial tasks, employing about 2,000 medical professionals and other staff.

However, local authorities, judging by Janis Lange's letter, intend to evaluate them primarily based on business categories: "consulting with competent institutions in the field of competition protection and representing commercial societies or associations."

So it would not be surprising if the current authorities decide by autumn that some services would be better provided by private entities, while the municipality withdraws from healthcare.

In a similar manner, by the way, the "fathers of the city" recently washed their hands regarding the municipal housing management RNP, which is being put up for sale. We are following the developments!