The issue of funding for the reconstruction of the Latvian Oncology Centre (LOC) at Riga East Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) remains stalled, said Armands Sīviņš, head of the LOC Oncosurgery Clinic. According to him, the decisive decisions regarding the project’s progress fall under the competence of the Ministry of Health (MoH).
He explained that the situation has not changed – in the latest proposal offered by the MoH, there is still no specific funding source allocated for the LOC reconstruction. Sīviņš believes that the hospital itself should not be responsible for securing the necessary funding. “The ball is in the ministry’s court,” said the doctor.
Sīviņš noted that demand for cancer patient treatment is increasing, particularly the need to administer chemotherapy. “The lack of resources remains, and recently the number of chemotherapy treatments has risen, which affects accessibility of care,” he stated.
It has already been reported that the MoH proposed eliminating the sixth round of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) initiative, reallocating 68.3 million euros to the first and fifth rounds to ensure implementation of the A2 building project at Pauls Stradiņš Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS) and the Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Health Centre (LIC) at RAKUS, according to the ministry’s draft regulations.
Initially, the sixth round was planned to be implemented by the first quarter of 2028.
It included 83.3 million euros in funding for projects at clinical university hospitals, including the RAKUS LOC reconstruction project. Minister of Health Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity) explained that part of the 16 million euros needed for reconstructing the surgical block is currently earmarked from European funds, but a portion still requires approval from the European Commission.
According to the MoH draft regulations, the initially earmarked 68.3 million euros for RAKUS infrastructure development – including 58 million euros in ERDF funds and 10.2 million euros in national co-financing – will be divided solely between the PSKUS A2 and LIC projects. Of this amount, 31.3 million euros is planned for LIC construction, and 37 million euros will go to the PSKUS A2 building project.
Previously, RAKUS decided to redirect the 37.6 million euros originally planned for the LOC reconstruction to the LIC construction, excluding the renovation of LOC’s inpatient wards, replacement and installation of elevators, creation of switchboard rooms, and associated construction and architectural supervision.
As a result,
only one of the two planned strategic infrastructure projects at RAKUS will be implemented during this EU funding period
– the new LIC building, which will receive a total of 82.9 million euros. This amount includes a 14.7 million euros allocation from the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the redirected ERDF funds.
The MoH, in cooperation with the Central Finance and Contracting Agency, has been tasked with ensuring contract agreements for project implementation with the funding recipients before receiving a positive decision from the European Commission regarding amendments to the 2021–2027 EU Cohesion Policy Programme.
The ministry must also inform the Cabinet of Ministers about proposed actions in case a positive EC decision on the amendments to the Cohesion Policy Programme is not received.
RAKUS management is expected to inform the MoH about the progress of the LOC renovation project on the 8th of July.
Currently, the hospital’s key tasks include the construction of the new Infectious Diseases and Pulmonary Health Centre, internal actions within the board’s competence to initiate the LOC reconstruction project, and ensuring hospital operations amid limited financial resources.
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