Kuldiga Hospital: State Funding Cut Slows Development as Births and Patient Numbers Rise

Andris Aninsh, chairman of the board of Kuldiga hospital in the Kurzeme region of western Latvia, explained in a podcast by the newspaper Kurzemnieks what care is available in Kuldiga, why patients wait to see specialists, and how reduced state funding affects the hospital. The hospital had planned to expand its services this year, but in January it learned that state money for the round-the-clock inpatient unit was almost 700,000 euros lower than expected.

Funding and workload

At the same time, labour, energy and transport costs are rising. According to the head of the hospital, service quality has not suffered, but planned development has been restricted. Talks continue with the Ministry of Health and the National Health Service (NVD), which pays for state-guaranteed healthcare, about next year's funding. Aninsh believes funding decisions should take the hospital's workload into account, since about half of its patients come from elsewhere: South Kurzeme, Saldus, Talsi and Tukums areas, Ventspils and other places.

The admissions department treats more than 12,000 patients a year, and this year the figure may exceed 13,000. Births are forecast to rise by 5–7% this year and could top 400, even though state funding for maternity care has been reduced.

Waiting lists for specialists

According to Aninsh, seeing a state-funded specialist requires not only a consulting room but also NVD money for a set number of consultations, known as quotas. This year the hospital obtained a few quotas for paediatricians, an endocrinologist and a gastroenterologist, and next year state-paid eye doctor services are planned, including cataract and glaucoma surgery. Quotas for computed tomography scans are especially scarce. Three more new doctors' rooms were completed this spring.

On night-time care, he said a doctor is available but may be busy with a more urgent patient. He believes the price of paid consultations is determined by costs, the specialist's qualifications and the labour market.

Other issues

Extending a bus route to the hospital has been postponed this year because of the lack of funds, but the idea has not been dropped. The hospital's meal recipes were reviewed about a year ago with the help of a nutritionist.