The public relations office of Riga Eastern Clinical University Hospital (RAKUS) has published an unusually emotional announcement in response to a report from LTV programme Panorāma about three doctors leaving the Latvian Oncology Centre because of unjustifiably low wages.
The report from journalist Zanda Ozola-Balode’s about three leading nose, ear and throat doctors saying they are prepared to leave the Latvian Oncology Centre caused a strong response from the hospital. The doctors said, among other things, that the centre’s very existence is at risk. RAKUS press-secretary Ilga Namniece called it subjective and partial description of the situation over at Latvian Oncology Centre, the aforementioned doctors’ submitted resignations and the real reasons behind them.
In the statement presented to the media Namniece explains: «After watching the news the general impression is that doctors need a couple of hundred euros extra to their wages. It also suggests there are problems with supplies of medical equipment and tools. This is not true!»
Namniece also stresses that just recently the centre was supplied with the latest medical equipment and tools worth more than EUR 7 million. In certain cases deliveries of equipment still continue. This includes and MRI machine, four surgery tables, 4K laparoscopy towers, infusion pumps, specialized ENT equipment and instruments, linear accelerator and scintigraphy equipment, and a large number of other equipment.
The hospital’s board has also sped up the start of the procurement intended to secure next generation specialised surgical microscope applications for nose, ear and throat specialists and specialised CO2 laser applications worth EUR 240 000. «This equipment will be procured and delivered in the next three months,» explains RAKUS press-secretary.
She also said that in regards to the topic of wages paid to doctors, the opinion of the hospital’s management was reported only partially in the news report – only certain fragments of what the board member, Prof. Haralds Plaužs said was put in the news. The average pay – before taxes – of the nose, ear and throat specialists that have submitted their resignations is more than EUR 4 500.
The demand to be paid at least EUR 7 500 (before taxes) is currently impossible.
The hospital, as a state capital association, currently cannot afford such a sharp pay increase. On top of that, this would be unfair towards other doctors that have the amount of work or more but are paid much less. «The appeal to the interests of patients in this case more resembles using patients as a tool for demonstrating one’s professional ambitions and self-benefit,» said Namniece.
At the same time, she writes that in this situation the hospital is prepared for a constructive talk with the doctors that have decided to leave in order to find a balanced compromise and maintain job relations. «We stress that the hospital cannot accept impossible terms. At the same time, we would like to inform that measures are underway to ensure the departure of specialists does not impact cancer patients and the LOR centre is able to continue operations,» RAKUS representative promises.
Also read: Covid-19 infection rates on a rise again after a two-month drop