Patients with minor ailments strain Vidzeme Hospital emergency department

Vidzeme Hospital’s emergency department is facing increased patient numbers as shortages of family doctors, long waits and expensive medical services lead more people to seek care there, Latvian public broadcaster LSM reported. Hospital staff say most patients who arrive on their own, rather than by ambulance, could be treated under a family doctor’s care.

At the department, patients are first assessed for the severity of their condition and the level of risk. Head physician Guna Ozola said a medical assistant conducts the initial examination and assigns each patient a priority based on how quickly they need help.

The department’s main role is to treat sudden, life-threatening injuries and illnesses. However, the hospital’s medical director, Inga Ozoliņa, said the number of people arriving with outpatient complaints has risen in recent years, while staffing is not designed to handle that volume.

About 65% of patients are not admitted to hospital and are considered outpatient cases, Ozoliņa said. She said some people do not contact their family doctor or treat themselves at home, then decide a week later to come to the emergency department. Such cases contribute to queues and put pressure on staff, she said.