Rural Family Doctors Association of Latvia (LLĢĀA) invites President Egils Levits to not promulgate the Law on the State Budget 2023 – considered by physicians hazardous to human health – and the content for the medium-term budget for 2023, 2024 and 2025, as confirmed by the organisation’s vice-president Ainis Dzalbs.
LLĢĀA noted in its announcement that «the insufficient funding provided to primary healthcare in 2023, as well as the lack of state support for primary healthcare teams puts at risk accessibility of primary healthcare services, family doctor practices and negatively affects the quality of healthcare services.»
To prevent threats to primary healthcare, the association has decided to reach out to Levits and invite him to not promulgate the budget.
The association has also decided to inform international organisations
involved in development of healthcare guidelines and policy of the critical shortage of funding and human resources in primary healthcare.
LLĢĀA is currently preparing a letter to be sent to the World Health Organisation, Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, European Commission, European Primary Healthcare Forum, World Organization of Family Doctors, European Rural and Isolated Practitioners Association, and Latvian Association of Doctors and Dentists with an invitation to influence Latvian officials.
Dzalbs that LLĢĀA
supports activities related to its participation in various protests or strike, which is intended to increase funding and human resources in the sector.
The association is also prepared to cooperate with other healthcare professionals and patient organisations. LLĢĀA supports and is ready to engaged in activities that promote growth of primary education and regional development in this sector.
In his previous interview to Latvijas Radio programme Krustpunktā, Dzalbs admitted the primary healthcare has no resources to deal with the influx of patients and provide each of them timely and quality healthcare services. According to him, healthcare in Latvia has entered the stage when it is vital to think about priorities, because family doctors can no longer provide the entire range of services.
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