Liepāja family doctor Laila Atiķe builds one of Kurzeme's largest private medical companies in 25 years
Laila Atiķe started with a family doctor's practice in Liepāja, and her company now also has branches in Rīga and Ādaži. Five years ago she ended cooperation with the National Health Service and now offers only paid services.
In Liepāja, western Latvia, the company SIA L. Atiķes doktorāts has grown over 25 years from a single family doctor's practice into one of the largest private medical companies in the Kurzeme region. It also has branches in Rīga and Ādaži, according to the magazine Ir.
The company's owner and manager, Laila Atiķe, still works as a family doctor herself. Unlike before, she now sees patients only for a fee.
Giving up state funding
Five years ago Atiķe ended her cooperation with the National Health Service, the body that administers state funding for healthcare. She says she had burned out a little and realised she could no longer properly see 30–50 patients a day.
At that time her practice was among the largest in the city by number of patients, including about 400 children.
Daily life at the clinic
The article describes the clinic's staff carrying boxes of medicine packages. The vaccines for the new flu season had just been delivered.
