Balvi and Gulbene hospital union plans to close maternity ward in September
According to LTV News, the union of Balvi and Gulbene hospitals intends to close the maternity ward in Balvi from September. The hospital management says the decision is linked to expected changes in the healthcare system, although the hospital network reform is only due to take effect at the beginning of next year.
The hospital union serving Balvi and Gulbene has announced plans to close the maternity ward in Balvi as of September. LTV News reported that the management of the union links the decision to upcoming changes in the healthcare system. Notably, the hospital network reform that would be relevant to such a step is scheduled to come into force only at the beginning of next year.
The announcement means the ward could shut down before the reform officially begins. The hospital union has not provided detailed explanations for why the closure should happen ahead of the reform timetable. However, the ministry has criticised the union’s communication concerning the planned closure. According to LTV News, the decision was made public while the national reform process was still pending.
The maternity ward in Balvi is operated as part of the joint hospital structure. The management says the step is connected to the broader reorganisation of health services. At this stage, no further specifics have been given about how the closure will affect services or when exactly the ward will stop receiving admissions.
