Health
On Thursday, May 25, the Saeima conceptually supported amendments to the Law on Medical Treatment and the Law on Social Services and Social Assistance, which provide for improved access to palliative care and determine that hospice service would be provided from State budget resources.
The Ombudsman has identified significant shortcomings in the Ādaži municipal hospital's accessibility for people with disabilities, including even certain elements that potentially pose risks to human health, the Ombudsman's office said on May 22.
The Ministry of Health has prepared proposals to organize the hospital network, including a plan to exclude surgeons and anesthesiologists from 24-hour reception, reports Latvian Television's broadcast De Facto on May 21.
The Latvian Saeima moved forward with legislation designed to reduce the negative health impacts of smoking and drinking on Thursday, May 18.
Currently, not everyone in Latvia has an opportunity to receive hospice care as a state-guaranteed service. It was expected that it could be provided from budget resources from next year, but there is hope that the service will be introduced from October 1 this year, Ministry representatives told Latvian Radio on May 17.
The Latvian Junior Doctors’ Association, together with the Latvian People with Special Needs Cooperation Organization “Sustento”, and several other Latvian patient organizations and associations representing medical workers, hold a picket at the Saeima on Thursday, May 11, requesting politicians to promise stable health care funding.
Due to the decreasing risk of contracting Covid-19, it has been decided to remove the requirement for mandatory use of facial masks in medical establishments and in long-term social care facilities, the Ministry of Health said on May 9.
The Consumer Rights Protection Center (PTAC) said May 8 it was issuing a fine of 15,000 euros against social media 'influencer' Vineta Meduņecka, the product distributor of the internet marketing company 'Coral Club'.
From the beginning of next year, access to e-health is planned to only be possible through qualified electronic means of personal identification: with an e-ID card, an e-signature (eParaksts) card, an e-signature card plus or e-signature mobile. The plan has met resistance from both the patient and doctor side, Latvian Radio reported on May 3.
The State Blood Donor Center (VADC) has opened new premises in an accessible location to many – in the very heart of Rīga, on Brīvības Boulevard 32, Latvian Television reported on May 2.
In 2023, vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) will also be provided from state budget resources for boys aged 12 to 17 years, according to the government amendments approved on Tuesday, May 2.
Although for two years the State has provided funds for treatment for children with disabilities, it is still largely paid for by donors, Latvian Television reported on May 1.
Not enough public money is invested in Latvia's health care, said Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (New Unity) in an interview with Latvian Television on April 26, stating that one of the solutions would be the introduction of mandatory health insurance in Latvia.
In solidarity with teachers, around 1,000 health workers participated in the protest on Monday, April 24. Ilze Aizsilniece, head of the Latvian Medical Society, has repeated her readiness to organize a strike in the autumn. The industry ministry hopes to prevent this with a clear plan for predictable additional funding for the health sector.
The incidence of influenza has decreased over the last two weeks and, on the basis of current data, the Disease Prevention and Control (SPKC) announces the end of the influenza epidemic on Thursday, April 20.
The oncological patient support association "Dzīvības koks", with the support of the Jēkabpils municipality, is restoring the Dignāja Manor. It is planned that there, a psychosocial rehabilitation center for oncological patients will open its door this autumn, Latvian Radio reported on April 19.
In 2021, at EU level, 43% of people aged 65 and over living in cities reported that they had a good or very good health status; this was 2 percentage points (pp) higher than the national average for all people of this age group (41%), according to Eurostat data published April 13.
Two-thirds of patients with oncology diseases have a risk of not receiving medical treatment services, the Chairman of the Board of the Latvian Hospital Association, Jevgēnijs Kalējs, said in an interview with Latvian Television on April 12.
Influenza and Covid intensity reduced in Latvia last week compared to the week before, according to information compiled by the Latvian Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) on April 5.
Some girls in Latvia are forced to skip school due to not having access to necessary hygiene products every month. The necessary signatures for an initiative to change the situation on Manabalss.lv have been collected within two weeks. Further progress of this initiative in the Saeima was supported April 4 by the responsible committee.
The Ministry of Health (VM) has acknowledged that, due to the lack of funding, the lines on state-paid healthcare services will be extended, said Ilze Ortveina, parliamentary secretary of VM, LETA reported on April 3.
More than a fifth or 22% of Latvia's population is at least 64 years old; the proportion of working-age population tends to fall, according to the results of the last census. With the population ageing, geriatric care is becoming a profession of the future, but currently, young healthcare experts are not that interested, Latvian Radio reported March 31.
The number of cases of flu continued to decrease in Latvia last week but Covid case numbers rose, according to data from the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) on March 29.
The lack of money for regional and local hospitals causes uncertainty about their future. After a meeting of the Latvian Hospital Association on March 27, hospitals estimate that medical services might only be provided for a fee starting from the autumn, Skrunda Television reported Monday.
The number of calls to drug-related emergencies has increased significantly in Latvia. New synthetic opioids, which are more dangerous to users, are rapidly spreading to the Latvian market, and overdose is often fatal, Latvian Radio reported March 27.
The State Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) increasingly faces cases of unauthorized substances and drug overdose, according to the service's observations, Latvian Television reported March 22.
In the previous week, from March 13 to March 19 , the average intensity of influenza increased slightly in Latvia, but is generally described as low. Meanwhile, in hospitals, the number of patients with Covid-19 increased by 30.9%, the Disease Prevention and Control Center (SPKC) reported on March 22.
Private healthcare schemes have become increasingly popular in Latvia during recent years, and there is a notable difference between the size of the market in Latvia and in the other Baltic states, reported Latvian Television's "Forbidden Method" (Aizliegtais paņēmiens) investigative show March 20.
Last year, the Health Inspectorate received a total of 640 complaints on the quality of health care, including 104 complaints concerning unkind attitude and poor communication, said Anita Slokenberga, head of the institution, in an interview with LETA on March 19.
In 2021, average life expectancy at birth in the EU was 80.1 years, but in Latvia it was just 73.1 years, according to new data from Eurostat.
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