Hospital Association: Start of Dialogue with New Minister Is Promising
Published: 11.07.2016
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The Latvian Hospital Association (LSB) met with the new Minister of Health, Anda Čakša, on Wednesday, 6 July, to discuss several important healthcare issues. An agreement was reached on a number of tasks to be carried out and on maintaining a regular dialogue in the future, while the association once again criticised the funding allocated to regional hospitals, which was reduced this year.
“At the beginning of each new stage, we look forward to cooperation with hope. The meeting with the minister was constructive; we hope that the minister will succeed in implementing the planned changes and that hospitals will also actively participate in their implementation,” says Egija Širova, Deputy Head of the LSB.
During the meeting, much was discussed about patients’ access to medical services, which was negatively affected by the significant reduction in funding for regional hospitals this year. The minister indicated that the possibility of restoring funding to hospitals would still be assessed, but until then, the possibility of providing additional funding for oncology diagnostics outside the quota-based services would be considered.
“In the current situation, additional opportunities for oncology diagnostics could be a short-term solution. It must not be forgotten that patients, especially in the regions, where the physical accessibility of healthcare services is already lower than in the capital, must have an equal opportunity to receive medical care without unacceptably long waiting lists,” comments Jevgeņijs Kalējs, Head of the LSB.
