Border region family doctor: A demanding job with deep satisfaction
Family doctor Sabīne Feldmane, who started working in Viļaka near the Russian border in December, talks about daily challenges and the rewards of helping patients in rural Latvia.
Sabīne Feldmane became the family doctor in Viļaka, a town on Latvia's border with Russia, in December 2024. Her practice currently looks after around 1,200 patients. The doctor says the job is not easy, but the satisfaction is considerable, particularly when she is able to help people and do something meaningful.
Feldmane was born and raised in Riga, but moved to Rugāji in 2017. She explains that her husband, who comes from the area, influenced the move. During her studies she had no clear vision of her future, but as residency approached she decided she wanted to run her own practice. Family medicine seemed the right path, and after her first child she began her residency. She has stayed in the region ever since.
Her daily routine includes a 40-minute commute, household chores, childcare and unfinished work from the practice. Despite the heavy workload, she has no intention of changing things, at least not for now. In the interview she reflects on problems in the healthcare system and on what it means to work in the border zone. Her experience highlights broader difficulties facing regional medicine, where a doctor often acts not only as a medical specialist but also as a supporter, comforter and explainer.
The greatest reward, she says, is the feeling of being useful and able to help. Her story speaks of dedication and resilience in one of Latvia's most remote regions.
