Former Ventspils City Council member Kristīne Lemberga (Latvijai un Ventspilij) has been appointed part-time Development Director of SIA North Kurzeme Regional Hospital, the hospital’s Head of Public Relations, Santa Koha, told LETA.
According to Koha, the hospital has lacked human resources “to plan and seek opportunities for new development projects, especially in the fields of digitalization and energy efficiency, as well as to look for international cooperation opportunities to implement project ideas.” This year, work began on a 15-year development plan needed to ensure infrastructure growth in line with future industry trends, while maintaining efficiency and adaptability to changing circumstances.
Given this, the hospital created the position of Development Director within the existing budget. Lemberga obtained the post without an open competition.
“This type of position does not require an official competition if there is a competent professional available on the labor market. Recruitment for the part-time post was carried out through direct approach, which is permissible and often used in practice to attract specialized professionals,” Koha explained.
“The creation of a Development Director role is essential for ensuring the hospital’s successful long-term development,
coordinated planning, and implementation. The development field will cover not only the attraction of structural funds and project implementation but also active participation in reviewing national healthcare planning documents and draft legislation, as well as defending the hospital’s interests in the drafting process,” the hospital stated.
Until now, implementation of investment projects at the hospital was managed by two project managers with a combined workload of 1.25 full-time equivalents. One specialized more in project execution, including construction project management, while the other focused on developing new project ideas and exploring funding opportunities, particularly in energy efficiency, digitalization, and pilot models for healthcare service development.
As reported, this spring Lemberga ran in municipal elections from the Latvijai un Ventspilij list but was not elected to the council. Previously, she had long served as Deputy Executive Director of Ventspils Municipality and Head of the Development Department.
Last year, Lemberga’s income as a Ventspils City Council member totaled 40,917 euros, while the State Social Insurance Agency paid her 1,200 euros in benefits, according to her 2024 income declaration filed with the State Revenue Service. She declared 70,000 euros in cash savings and 45,735 euros held in bank accounts. Lemberga owns an apartment in Ventspils, real estate in Mārupe, as well as a 2018 Audi SQ7 and a 2023 boat trailer.
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