The proposal to merge the Ministry of Health of Latvia and the Ministry of Welfare of Latvia is “categorically unacceptable,” as the priority should be addressing problems in the healthcare sector rather than “tampering with a ministry that is currently functioning well,” Welfare Minister Reinis Uzulnieks (Union of Greens and Farmers) told the LETA news agency.
The politician noted that the idea had previously been voiced publicly by Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity), and he is convinced that similar statements will continue to surface ahead of the parliamentary elections in October.
Commenting on the proposal, Uzulnieks stressed that the focus should first be on fixing issues in healthcare. In his view, the Welfare Ministry should not be touched, as it “functions well and has accomplished a great deal of good work.”
The minister expressed a categorical opposition to merging the two ministries.
He also recalled that the two ministries had been merged in the past, but employees who worked there at the time did not consider it a positive experience.
Uzulnieks referred to the experience of Estonia, suggesting that
after such a merger, healthcare tends to be prioritized at the expense of social welfare.
He speculated that Abu Meri may see an opportunity to solve healthcare problems at the expense of the welfare sector. “So what—are we going to pour pension money into concrete where construction is needed?” Uzulnieks asked rhetorically.
The Welfare Minister acknowledged that there are some overlapping issues within the competencies of both ministries, but said these are already being “well addressed” through cooperation. In his assessment, beyond “four or five shared issues,” there is no justification for merging the ministries. He also noted that Ombudswoman Karina Palkova has positively evaluated the cooperation between the two ministries, for example in the areas of palliative and hospice care.
Uzulnieks expressed the view that the merger proposal is part of pre-election rhetoric. He said he has already discussed the issue with municipalities, and none of them have identified any real benefits from such a merger.
It has previously been reported that
New Unity plans to propose merging the Health and Welfare ministries in the upcoming parliamentary elections,
as stated by Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri in an interview with Latvian Television. “This is my and JV’s proposal for the next elections,” the politician said.
Abu Meri does not see healthcare as separate from welfare and the social sector. In his opinion, these areas should be combined. “We are living longer, but with more problems and illnesses. Therefore, the social component must go hand in hand with healthcare,” he stated.
The parliamentary elections will take place on the first Saturday of October.
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