On Wednesday, January 25, the Minister of Health, Līga MenĆgelsone, met with the Latvian Hospital Association, which unites 37 Latvian hospitals and medical institutions and works to improve health care planning and management.
Hospital managers have brought up a number of issues relevant to the operation of inpatient facilities, which affect the available amount of state budget funding for the treatment and care of patients. In 2023, an additional 85.8 million euros are planned to be allocated to the health sector in priority measures, although the funding required for the sector is much higher. At the same time, the year 2023 has started with the “technical budget”, so medical institutions will be able to receive the additional planned funding only after the approval of the state budget.
Hospital managers pointed out that the insufficient financing of the sector, taking into account the increase in the price of both energy resources and other goods and services, may result in longer patient waiting lines for planned state-paid services. Also, during the meeting, regional hospital managers outlined their cooperation with the local government, which are the founders of the hospitals, and also provided proposals that should be implemented in the industry that would improve patient treatment and care.
“Ensuring the operation of hospitals is our common concern – both the state and local governments. I understand the situation in hospitals that has arisen due to inflation and the rise in energy resource prices, and I hope that with the joint cooperation of the hospital owners and the ministry, we will manage to find the best possible solutions,” emphasized Health Minister Līga Menľelsone at the beginning of the conversation.
During the meeting, representatives of the Ministry of Health, the National Health Service and the Latvian Hospital Association agreed to meet in working groups to find the best solutions for patients.
The information was prepared by: Press Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Barbara Ālīte
