RAKUS shares lessons from Ukraine on running hospitals under wartime conditions

On Friday, September 11, Riga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) hosted an experience-sharing event aimed at passing on knowledge gained in Ukraine about operating medical facilities under wartime conditions to other healthcare institutions in Latvia. The event brought together Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri, representatives of the Ministry of Health, and medics from Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital, the Children's Clinical University Hospital, and the Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital.

Vadims Beļuns, chairman of the board of Riga East hospital, stressed that knowledge gained in real wartime medical conditions should not remain with a single team but must be shared to strengthen the whole system's readiness for situations with a large influx of casualties. He highlighted two key lessons: evacuation during crises is not merely transporting a patient but part of the treatment process itself, requiring specialized transport and continuity of care, and the ability to keep treatment running under limited resources when work is clearly organized and teams are well prepared.

Firsthand experience in Ukraine

Andris Vikmanis, head of the Traumatology and Orthopaedics Clinic, and physician Kristiāns Alpe, who volunteered to travel to Ukraine to observe hospital operations under high-strain conditions, shared their practical insights. The minister presented both doctors with Ministry of Health certificates of gratitude for their courage and contribution to strengthening the sector's crisis preparedness. Other RAKUS medics had previously traveled to Ukraine as well, including together with Lithuanian and Estonian colleagues, and a Latvian delegation met with the chief traumatologist of Ukraine's armed forces.

Readiness tested in Latvia too

The discussion covered organizing patient flow and the ability of medical institutions to adapt during crises. The topic gained added relevance after August's severe storm, when wind gusts exceeded 30 meters per second and cut power to roughly 277,000 customers. Liene Cipule, director of the Emergency Medical Service, said power was down at 16 of the service's locations, while the biggest challenge was prolonged communication disruptions, including cases where even radios went silent.