Hospital reform could make care harder to reach in Zemgale

A planned hospital network reform could make medical care harder to access for some patients in Zemgale, LSM reported. The changes come as patient numbers rise, while emergency departments are set to receive less funding and specialist staffing arrangements are due to change.

The Health Ministry says the reform aims to improve care quality and patient safety while using available funding more efficiently. Hospital managers and family doctors say regional needs should be assessed more carefully first, including whether larger hospitals can take on additional patients.

Under the proposed changes, no hospital in Zemgale would be in the highest, multi-profile tier. Jelgava and Jēkabpils hospitals are set to be classified as regional hospitals, while those in Bauska, Dobele and Aizkraukle would be local hospitals.

“That is not a good sign, because it means people must expect to travel to Jelgava or possibly even Riga. The situation is similar at Bauska Hospital, where one specialist is on duty,” said Ainis Dzalbs, president of the Latvian Rural Family Doctors Association.

Jelgava Hospital’s emergency department treated more than 34,000 patients last year, about 10,000 of whom were brought in by ambulance crews. The hospital has annual turnover of around 20 million euros, and its management says the proposed funding changes pose a significant risk.

“The plan is for funding to fall by 960,000 euros. That does not mean it is being reduced; it is not being allocated. This means funding will be 80,000 euros lower each month. That has a very significant impact on the hospital,” said Kintija Barloti, a board member of Jelgava City Hospital.

Bauska Hospital has also seen patient numbers rise. The number of people treated as inpatients increased from 815 in 2022 to 1,119 last year. Almost half of the patients admitted during the first nine months of this year had been transferred from higher-level hospitals.