On 25 August, President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs visited Pauls Stradiņš University Hospital. He met with its management and staff before taking the tour of some of hospital’s units.
President of Latvia took the opportunity to thank healthcare professionals and workers for treatment and care they provide to patients every day. President Rinkēvičs and hospital’s administration, medical and support personnel then discussed current healthcare funding model, especially its effect on the efficiency of the system, extreme staff shortages and access to healthcare services.
‘Our health indicators, for instance, projected life expectancy, are well below European Union average. Life expectancy is mostly determined by our lifestyle choices and also structural problems and shortage of resources in the system. To improve that, we need to do two vital things – get people do timely health check-ups and boost support for the healthcare system. Healthcare, no doubt, needs more money, but these investments need to be well-informed and well-weighed. This will require a different mindset, better governance at the level of healthcare providers, more focus on patient-centred care, modern infrastructure and clearer career paths for healthcare professionals,’ President Rinkēvičs said after the visit.
President of Latvia Edgars Rinkēvičs intends to also visit other hospitals in Riga and regions of Latvia to learn more about everyday work of these institutions and challenges faced national the healthcare system.
