Health
At Vidzeme Regional Hospital, the situation with Covid-19 patients has deteriorated in a few weeks – currently, half the inpatient unit is occupied by patients with this virus. In other regional hospitals, the situation has not escalated so much, but in virtually all medical facilities, medics are already starting to wear masks and expecting surges of the virus, Latvian Television reported September 20.
Latvia does not ensure early detection of oncological diseases and reimbursement of medicines necessary for patients, although oncology is one of the priorities in the country. The list of reimbursable drugs for cancer treatment only partially complies with international guidelines and only a fraction of therapy is paid for by the state, the State Audit Office said in its report on September 20.
While the new Eris type of Covid-19 Omicron has already been discovered in the wastewaters of Latvia, it has not yet been proven in the laboratory. Doctors say that more subtypes are definitely to come and the morbidity curve is sure to increase, Latvian Television reported September 19.
The Covid-19 virus was never gone and there is a slight increase in the number of cases at the moment, Jurijs Perevoščikovs, director of the Department of Risk Analysis and Prevention at the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC), told the agency LETA on September 8.
The government this week allocated €41.3 million to address the emergency financial situation in the health sector. Of that amount, €15 million has been allocated to hospitals. This will be only a small payoff for the treatment of patients in severe condition, Jevgēņijs Kalējs, head of the hospital association, told Latvian Radio on September 7.
Riga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) has received three patients this summer with signs of death cap poisoning (Amanita phalloides). One of the patients died after severe poisoning, the hospital said September 6.
Daugavpils Regional Hospital again raises alarm about money shortages. At the beginning of the year, when the hospital first warned of impending bankruptcy, it was estimated to lack €10 million this year. “Tightening the belt” and receiving aid from the country have reduced the figure to €7.6 million. The largest shareholder – the municipality – is concerned about the hospital nearing insolvency, Latvian Television reported September 4.
Fresh data published by Eurostat on August 28 show that on average, Latvians consulted a doctor about six times during 2021.
To get an appointment with a specialist doctor, one often has to wait several months. At present, the longest lines are for rehabilitation, gastroenterologists, endocrinologists, and ultrasonography. In many health care facilities, everything is booked until the end of the year, reports the De Facto broadcast of Latvian Television, aired on August 27.
A unique HIV prevention pilot project, PrEP Riga, launched in Latvia, will provide free medicine and testing for STIs and hepatitis, LGBT and their friends' association “Mozaīka” said on August 24.
On August 15 , the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) received laboratory confirmation for an outbreak of African swine fever in a holding of the Nagļi parish, Rēzekne municipality. African swine fever is still spreading, and biosecurity measures for pig growers must be followed very closely, Latvian Radio reported on August 23.
The days Covid-19 took over daily news are gone. Though Covid has subsided, it hasn't disappeared altogether. A life is still taken every week by the virus, Latvian Television reported on August 22.
One of the sectors with high export potential in Latvia is health tourism. Since 2020, the number of foreign patients in Latvia has been increasing, Latvian Radio reported on August 11.
After the devastating storm in Latvia this week, it is lucky that there were not many victims, the chief of State Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) Liene Cipule told Latvian Radio on August 10.
The Ministry of Health (VM) and Welfare Ministry (LM) plan to introduce a new state-paid service starting autumn this year – mobile team palliative care at the patient's home, according to a VM report presented at the government meeting on August 8.
The Health Ministry's plan to reorganize the hospital network and to change the range of services available in hospitals should be more specific, the Chairman of the Latvian Hospital Association Jevgēņijs Kalējs told Latvian Television on August 1.
Despite rising prices, demand for health-insurance policies is stable and even with slightly upward rates. However, policy coverage is falling, so either there are fewer services paid for, or customers' co-payments increase, Latvian Radio reported on July 31.
The Ombudsman's office has concluded that the prices of medicinal products in Latvia are on average higher than in other countries of the European Union. The industry wants a smaller VAT on medicines, Latvian Television reported on July 30.
The parents of several children on the autism spectrum have encountered a situation that when the child comes of age, the diagnosis is changed. Parents raised the alarm over this because it makes it difficult to receive help, which is already very limited for such people, Latvian Television reported on July 30.
In the autumn, the Latvian Saeima will decide whether to set more stringent procedures for the purchase of alcohol. Health experts say there is no time to waste in the matter, Latvian Television reported on July 22.
Riga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) has received victims of the Russian war in Ukraine for the fifth time. Through a charity project organized by M-Help.com, another 20 victims, four of whom have suffered very serious injuries, will start treatment in Latvia.
A spate of drownings over the last week has seen officials warning of the dangers of rip tides in the Baltic Sea. Though often regarded as one of the less volatile seas of the world, nevertheless the Baltic can produce unpredictable rip tides that pull swimmers much further from shore than they intended.
Court proceedings are under way against the former Minister of Health Ilze Viņķele, in which she has been accused of inaction in the position as a state official. On Monday, June 19, Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš was among those testifying, Latvian Television reported.
Avian influenza has spread throughout Latvia, and infectologists have concluded that people may also be infected after direct contact with infected birds. There is no vaccine against this illness and there is a high probability of fatal cases, so the population is advised against going near dead or ill birds, Kurzeme Television reported June 16.
A patient at the Liepāja hospital has received a placebo medicine intended for participants in a clinical trial without the consent of the patient or their family, Latvian Television reported on June 12.
With the school year ending on May 31 an the long summer vacation starting June 1, the State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) is urging parents to have a summertime safety discussion with their children to help avoid injury and tragedy during the school break.
On May 30, the government supported the reform of the hospital network launched by the Ministry of Health (VM), taking note of the VM report presented to the government. A new, updated report has to be prepared by the ministry by mid-August, with detailed criteria for each hospital.
Part of the additional EUR 140 million needed for the health sector could be reallocated from the surplus of the heating aid program, the Minister for Health, Līga Meņģelsone, told Latvian Television on May 30.
Instead of the much-criticized e-health, a new system to manage healthcare records is to be put in place over the following years. However, the initial finance and management model already highlights the risk of repeating the mistakes made with e-health, Latvian Television's De Facto reported on May 28.
More than 20% of the ticks analyzed in all Latvian laboratories have been tested positive for Lyme borrelia this year. Borrelia can cause Lyme disease against which there are no vaccines. The other dangerous tick-borne illness – encephalitis – has only been found in a few ticks, Latvian Television reported on May 26.
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