Latvia’s Minister of Health, Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity), firmly stated in an interview with Latvian Television’s Morning Panorama that no money can be reallocated from the healthcare system to other needs, as the sector is already severely underfunded.
He made this statement in response to a question on whether the Ministry of Health would be able to identify potential savings, as expected by Finance Minister Arvils Ašeradens (also from New Unity) across the public sector.
Abu Meri emphasized that the funding allocated to healthcare in Latvia is already unacceptably low and any further cuts would be unacceptable. “At the moment, I see no possibility of giving up even a single cent from the [Health Ministry’s] overall budget,” he said.
However, he acknowledged that there are opportunities to improve efficiency within the sector and the institutions under the ministry’s authority, such as by reducing bureaucracy and enhancing inter-agency cooperation. Still, he added that any resulting savings should remain within the healthcare system.
The minister noted that Latvia spends significantly less per capita on healthcare than Lithuania and Estonia
– and three times less than Slovenia, for example. He acknowledged a funding gap of at least 600–700 million euros in the sector. “We can’t do everything we’d like to. We have to work like firefighters – wake up each morning and find out what problems need solving that day,” Abu Meri remarked.
He reminded that Prime Minister Evika Siliņa’s government initially identified healthcare as one of its top priorities. Although defense has now taken precedence, Abu Meri argued that national defense cannot exist without a functioning healthcare system. “Without health, there will be no people to serve in the military and physically defend the country,” he stressed.
He also pointed out the close link between healthcare and demography, another declared national priority.
Earlier, Finance Minister Ašeradens stated that the government could find ways to reallocate 450 million euros from existing expenditures over the coming years to fund defense. This would involve reprioritizing within the current overall budget, rather than increasing it.
Prime Minister Siliņa announced on Monday that by June, the Finance Ministry is expected to present proposals to cut at least 150 million euros from public spending to make room for defense, education, and demographic priorities. She added that deeper cuts would need to follow later.
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