The Latvian Ministry of Health studied the situation with physician assistants (paramedics). It turned out that they are young and poorly paid.
What statistics also show is that we are dealing with a young profession: 39% of paramedics are under the age of 34. In the world, this is a highly respected and well-paid profession, known as Physician Assistant in the USA, Canada, the UK, and Ireland...
So why work hard in Latvia for a miserable salary compared to what is paid abroad?
Salaries for medical assistants in Ireland are 2-3 times higher than in Latvia, both in absolute figures and when considering purchasing power.
Here, income levels depend on specialization and the nature of the assistance provided. Currently, young people earn between 610 and 1703 euros per month (net). The average salary is around 900-1200 euros.
But it can be worse – assistants for people with disabilities receive about 420–550 euros net for a full month of work...
In Ireland, the hourly rate averages between 15 and 21.50 euros per hour. In large networks such as HSE (Health Service Executive), experienced specialists can earn from 56,000 euros a year (4,666 euros a month) and more.
One thing that reassures Latvian health officials is that in Ireland, gross salaries are subject to higher taxes (progressive scale), and housing rent (especially in Dublin) is significantly more expensive than in Riga. Therefore, a mass exodus of paramedics is not expected.
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