Two decades after meeting his youngest son, he visited these majestic walls for the first time. The capital's maternity hospital on Miera Street opened its newest operating block on Wednesday. Who will become its clients?
There Is Something to Be Proud of Before Europe
In 2025, 3,722 people were born here. There were 66 pairs of twins and one set of triplets!
The chairwoman of the maternity hospital, Santa Markova, reminded that the enterprise she oversees is 100% municipal. The total turnover is over 13 million euros per year. About 10% of the income comes from "service" offerings, such as private rooms. The rest is state funding; childbirth in Latvia is free. There are 412 employees working here, the overwhelming majority—324—are healthcare professionals. "We are optimizing wherever possible," says the director. The municipality invested 612,500 euros in insulating the building, which has pleasantly changed its appearance.
The maternity hospital specializes in high-risk births, and patients are brought here from all over Latvia. About 6-7% of children are born prematurely— in this regard, our republic performs better than the EU average (10%), trailing only Scandinavia (4%).
Normal and Complicated
In total, last year, the maternity hospital conducted 1,571 "physiological" (normal) and 1,212 "pathological" (complicated) births. There were also 875 cesarean sections and 212 vacuum extractions. This is a procedure where doctors assist the baby in being born if labor has prolonged during the final stage. How it works: a special soft silicone cup is placed on the baby's head, creating a vacuum. The doctor gently pulls on it in sync with the mother's contractions. Indications include acute oxygen deficiency (hypoxia) in the fetus, weak labor activity, severe fatigue of the mother, or the presence of diseases that prevent her from pushing fully.
Ms. Markova also touched on the tragic topic of newborn mortality. Although its level is minimal, it is not excluded. The doctor pointed out that often mothers arrive at the maternity hospital with severe pathologies that the institution cannot influence. "But still, this little one is considered 'ours,'" the doctor sadly stated.
The goal of preparing for childbirth is to maximize the elimination of risks. The opinions of all specialists must be considered, from ophthalmologists to psychologists.
"Things That Are Not Talked About"
The head of the Latvian Midwives Association, Linda Veidemane, told the members of the Riga City Council's Social Affairs Committee that her colleagues regularly visit children of various ages. "My daughter is now 18, but when she was 5-6, I was invited to the kindergarten—to explain how children are born."
And now we have to go, one could say—to the street children, the "Origo kids," who hang around the station... – We are healthcare professionals with expert skills in sexual and reproductive health, said Linda. Therefore, it is qualified midwives who should discuss "things that are not talked about" with young people. The topics are varied: human anatomy and physiology; body boundaries and preventing violence; sexual relationships; pregnancy. Hygiene, in Ms. Veidemane's understanding, extends from a toothbrush to a condom.
– We come as equals to equals, without judgment. Life is life; situations vary. We maintain confidentiality!
A total of 415 individual consultations were conducted, many of which were "very difficult." The recommendations given by midwives are "not just empty phrases." Since last year, specialists have been helping all girls who have experienced sexual violence. They have chosen basic approaches practiced in Sweden and Norway, which are known to be quite advanced in gender relations...
Health Course
Young people today choose the virtual world, so special mobile applications have been created in Latvia for questions about sexual life and pregnancy. Remote meetings are held online. However, face-to-face contact with specialists is necessary. It is often necessary to schedule appointments for young women with gynecologists, whom they are very afraid of...
They even arrange visits outside official working hours, so as not to run into anyone they know in the queue. "I caught chlamydia, which was successfully treated," concluded the midwife.
Linda Veidemane called the restoration of a mandatory health course in schools a "hot potato" (it was removed from the program during Minister Karlis Šadurskis's term!). Nowadays, priests often talk to students about these topics. Of course, they are wonderful people—but without special education.
€1,743,389.10 for Maternity Assistance
This amount from EU funds and the Latvian budget was spent on a project for a new operating block in the maternity hospital. There are 3 operating rooms here. In addition to the maternity center staff, the following specialists are available around the clock in the operating block:
- anesthesiologist-resuscitator;
- two nurses for anesthesia, emergency care, and intensive therapy;
- operating room nurse;
- nurse's assistant.
In the operating rooms, cesarean sections are primarily performed, which can be either planned, by prior appointment, or urgent, when the need for emergency surgery due to the health of the mother or child arises during pregnancy or childbirth.
As Dr. Markova explained, a model center for obstetric anesthesia has been established in the maternity hospital, where doctors of this specialty from all over Latvia improve their qualifications. Additionally, a solar power station has appeared on the roof of the building on Miera Street!
The deputies believe that the primary concern of the maternity hospital is not only Riga residents but also all young families in the Riga region. In this regard, it would be logical to equip accessible spaces in the large building on Miera for the placement of consultant midwives.
Inara Kondrate, head of the Welfare Department of the Riga City Council, believes: – Midwives are universal specialists capable of discussing any topics.
In her opinion, places for meetings between experts and potential clients could even be shopping centers. Anywhere one can meet the target audience!
People Instead of Oil
– Health is the most valuable thing we have, – philosophically noted deputy Lauris Erenpreiss (National Alliance). – We have no hydrocarbons in Latvia; our main wealth is people.
Unfortunately, the health status of newborns in Latvia raises concerns—about a third of those born in the same maternity hospital have various diagnoses at birth. Of these, about 10% suffer from congenital anomalies. Infections, according to Dr. Markova, can also vary widely—including those from the mothers' own microflora...
– The population is not becoming healthier, to put it mildly, – said Dr. Markova. Mothers come to the maternity hospital overweight.
For their part, 32 children in Riga were born with low or very low (less than 1 kg) weight. All of them were cared for! "This is very high-level care," said the head of the maternity hospital.
