Youth radio station pieci.lv ha s revealed the beneficiary of this year's "Dod pieci" (Gimme five) charity marathon with money raised this time around going to provide palliative care for terminally ill patients.
By October 7, the number of people infected with tick-borne encephalitis in Latvia this year has increased by 6.8 percent as compared to 2018, according to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control.
Around 20% of medical students are not planning to apply for residency in Latvia, representatives of the Latvian Junior Doctors Association informed LETA, citing a survey of would-be physicians.
On October 2 the healthcare working group of the American Chamber of Commerce in Latvia (AmCham) said it had delivered what it called a "vision statement" on Latvian healthcare to Ilze Vinkele, Minister of Health.
National Health Service director Inga Milaševiča will step down after the Health Ministry has launched a disciplinary case against her, the ministry said September 30.
A United States Army medical facility is showcasing an innovative Latvian hi-tech product online.
Investigating the outbreak of intestinal infection in Sigulda, the Food and Veterinary Service (PVD) suspended operations of a vegetable processing plant in Jelgava, the service reported.
Three children from Sigulda hospitalized for food poisoning earlier this week are still in serious condition, Children's Clinical University Hospital spokeswoman Vita Šteina told LETA today.
Plans to reform the health service to improve its efficiency and effectiveness might include the establishment of a series of "strategically important regional hospitals" according to a Health Ministry briefing presented by the minister, Ilze Viņķele.
A recent survey by the SKDS pollster says that 87% of Latvian residents think healthcare availability is bad to average.
A gradual transition from three-person to two-person ambulance crews by 2026 is one of the solutions proposed in the pre-hospital emergency medical service strategy 2020, Liene Cipule, director of the Emergency Medical Service (NMPD), said at a news conference August 28, reported the LETA newswire.
Latvia continues to see a drop in the number of medics working in the country, falling its lowest level in the past six years, according to statistics from the Center for Disease Prevention and Control cited by the LETA newswire August 24.
Baltic states Lithuania and Latvia have significantly more drownings each year than other European Union member states, according to the latest statistics from Eurostat.
Tick activity levels have changed little since last year, concludes the Latvian Center for Infectology on August 11. Approximately 25% of the ticks tested so far in the center’s laboratory have been identified to carry Lyme disease. In contrast, only about 1% of ticks carried encephalitis.
Hospitals in Latvia will not be closed, but from now they will be able to provide only the services that are of sufficient quality, said Health Minister Ilze Viņķele in an interview with Dienas Bizness on July 31.
The State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) has already lifted 60 drowning victims from various waters since the beginning of 2019, reported LSM.lv on July 30. The actual number of drowning victims, however, is higher, according to VUGD.
Hepatitis C could be eradicated with existing funding and effective drugs if problematic access to specialists was resolved, said Kristaps Kaugurs, spokesman for the Hepatitis C Patients, in an interview on Latvian Television on July 23.
Tick activity levels are slightly higher than last year. Individual cases of ehrlichiosis, however, are lower, according to epidemiologist at the Center for Disease prevention and Control Antra Bormane, reported LSM's Latvian service on July 10.
Narcologists express support of the Health Ministry's (VM) plan for reducing alcohol consumption, reported LSM's Latvian service on July 5. The Riga Center for Psychiatry and Narcology noted that the ministry's planned restrictions are aimed primarily at adolescents.
Children with autism, Down's syndrome and other developmental disorders have begun acquiring sign language, which allows nonverbal or minimally verbal children to communicate more effectively with their families, reported Latvian Television on July 6. The Latvian Portage Association offers sign language teaching services as part of their early correction program.
On Friday, July 5, the Ministry of Health (VM) presented the draft of an action plan for reducing alcohol consumption and restricting alcohol addiction in 2020–2022 for public discussion.
The concerns medics have been bringing up for many years have now been confirmed by the State Audit Office. More than half of doctors and nurses are above the age of 50, and the anticipated generational replacement is occurring at a slow rate. Only 65% of new doctors stay in the country after finishing their state-funded studies. Two young doctors from Rīga Stradiņš University admit that the main motivation for leaving is the salary, reported LSM's Latvian service on July 3.
Resident doctor Kārlis Rācenis and resident neurologist Ieva Glāzere are on round the clock duty at the Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital. This is one of the ways for them to earn their residency salary – 820 euros per month.
Resident doctor Kārlis Rācenis and resident neurologist Ieva Glāzere are on round the clock duty at the Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital. This is one of the ways for them to earn their residency salary – 820 euros per month.
When talking about arranging and reducing the number of schools in the country, the number of hospitals should also be mentioned, said the Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (New Unity) in an interview on Latvian Television on July 4.
The State Audit Office (VK), in its audit of the availability of human resources in the health care sector, concluded that there are either no doctors with certain qualifications in many regions, or there are limited numbers of them, reported LSM's Latvian Service on July 3.
Overall, 70 drunk drivers were caught, 6 people died throughout Līgo and Jāņi, reported LSM's Latvian service on June 25.
Every emergency service appraises this year's Līgo night differently. The State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) notes that this year's festival was relatively peaceful. The view is also shared by the State Police, despite its investigation into the case of a person who was run over near Carnikava. The Emergency Medical Care Services (NMPD), however, has had a tough night, reported LSM's Latvian service on June 24.
The number of people who died in car crashes has increased by 20% since 2018, said Normunds Krapsis, the head of the State Police Traffic Safety Administration in an interview with Latvian Television on June 21.
Krapsis emphasized that there will be an increased number of policemen patrolling the roads on Jāņi in an effort to discourage “madmen behind the wheel”. The police urges the public not to be reckless – to get a good night's sleep after the festival or choose driver's who are sober. “As we do every year, we'll increase road policing. There'll be mass checks and raids,” said Krapsis.
Krapsis emphasized that there will be an increased number of policemen patrolling the roads on Jāņi in an effort to discourage “madmen behind the wheel”. The police urges the public not to be reckless – to get a good night's sleep after the festival or choose driver's who are sober. “As we do every year, we'll increase road policing. There'll be mass checks and raids,” said Krapsis.
After conducting bathing water quality tests last week, the Health Inspectorate does not recommend swimming in the “Lucavsala” bathing area of the Daugava river, Rīga, and the “Pasta salas peldvieta” on the left shore of Lielupe, where a high level of microbiological contamination has been detected, reported LSM's Latvian service on June 17.
The two-package national health insurance system, which was set up and intended to be implemented by the previous administration, is postponed until 2021 – the Saeima decided at the final reading on June 13. Until then, it is planned to launch a one package system and set a health insurance contribution of 1% for every wage-earner.
The drastic fluctuations in temperature, from the swelter in the streets to the cool air indoors, have increased cases of pharyngal inflammation, some of which require serious medical treatment, the LSM Latvian service's reported on June 12.