Government adopts hospital network reform; disputes over Tukums hospital status resolved with compromise
The Cabinet of Ministers on Tuesday, July 28, after heated discussions, approved the Health Ministry's hospital network reform, reducing the number of hospital levels from five to three. The biggest controversy was over the classification of Tukums Hospital as a local rather than a regional facility.
On Tuesday, July 28, the Latvian government, after long and contentious debates, supported the hospital network reform developed by the Ministry of Health. The reform stipulates that starting next year, the current five hospital levels will be replaced by three: local, regional, and multi-profile hospitals.
The fiercest discussions in the government centered on the status of Tukums Hospital. It was categorized as a local, not regional, hospital, which would mean less funding and a narrower range of services. Minister Viktors Valainis of the Union of Greens and Farmers (ZZS) stated that ZZS would not support the reform if it implied a reduction in funding for regional hospitals.
Following negotiations, the ministers reached a compromise that allowed the reform to be adopted. The exact terms of the compromise were not disclosed, but it is reported that they concern the distribution of funding among different levels of hospitals.
The reform is part of a long-term plan to improve the accessibility and efficiency of healthcare by concentrating resources on larger, multi-profile hospitals while maintaining local hospitals for basic care.
