According to the Latvian Hospital Association, hospitals lack €78 million for the remaining nine months of this year for the provision of state-paid services to patients. In the association's assessment, if no additional funding is granted, hospitals will be forced to stop elective treatment of state-paid patients and patients will have to pay for their services.
Medical authorities will not be able to provide state-paid healthcare services throughout the year, which will result in lines being prolonged if additional funds are not found, said Ortveina. Previously, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš had asked ministries to review spending in their budgets in order to seek additional funding for the health and education sectors, and VM is looking forward to these funds.
"In principle, VM does not agree with the existing budget, which does not meet the requirements of the Public Health Guidelines or is in line with the needs of the medical authorities. We cannot redirect funds because there is nothing. But the Ministry of Finance has promised that primarily all the money found will be directed to health care, and we hope for it. We have no other mechanisms for the moment,” the parliamentary secretary said.
