Funding and staff shortages close 10 rooms at Riga maternity hospital

Riga Maternity Hospital has temporarily closed its sixth floor, which contains 10 family rooms, because of reduced state funding and staff shortages, LSM reported. The hospital’s budget this year is approximately 750,000 euros lower than initially planned.

Parents can use higher-comfort rooms on other floors instead. The sixth-floor rooms are expected to remain closed until August 25. A paid room costs 72 euros per day.

Hospital board chair Santa Markova said the closure would not affect medical assistance or maternity care. The hospital has not yet determined how much it will save, as personnel costs account for the largest share of expenses.

Markova said the hospital could not continue raising the price of paid services and shifting the financial burden to young families.

Riga Municipality owns the hospital’s capital shares. Riga Mayor Viesturs Kleinbergs said funding had been reduced because fewer children were being born. He said the municipality would consider increasing funding if the hospital needed it, but there was currently no indication that an increase was necessary.

Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks said he would raise the issue of the hospital’s funding with the government again and propose restoring the financial resources it needs.