Latvian committee backs reform of university hospitals

Latvia’s Saeima Social and Labour Affairs Committee on Tuesday, September 15, approved in the final committee reading a reform that would change the operating model of the country’s clinical university hospitals, LSM reported.

If approved by the full parliament, the changes would alter the legal status and financing model of three major clinical university hospitals: Paula Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital, Riga East Clinical University Hospital and Children’s Clinical University Hospital.

The current model is based on profit-making principles, while the reform would prioritise the provision of healthcare services that are critically necessary for society.

The committee also backed amendments to the law governing remuneration for officials and employees of state and local government institutions. The amendments would allow medical professionals to receive additional payments for training residents and students, conducting research and improving their professional qualifications.

Earlier committee discussions on the legislative changes also addressed differences in doctors’ pay. However, lawmakers decided not to introduce salary ceilings as part of the changes to the clinical university hospital model.

Boriss Kļigins, deputy state secretary at the Ministry of Health, said salary thresholds for medical professionals at clinical university hospitals would remain unchanged because they are already covered by the remuneration law.

He said medical professionals at the hospitals, which currently operate as capital companies and could become public derived entities under the reform, would continue to be paid according to each institution’s remuneration policy. The government would not be given powers to intervene in the hospitals’ remuneration policies after the law was adopted, Kļigins said.

The bill and related amendments must still be approved by the Saeima in a third and final reading before they can enter into force.