The decision to appoint Aleksejs Višņakovs as the acting chairman of Riga Eastern Clinical University (RAKUS) is «good and correct», said Minister of Health Līga Meņģelsone in an interview to LTV programme Rīta panorāma on Monday, the 16th of January.
Višņakovs was the head of the Emergency Medical and Patient Admission Clinic at the time of his appointment. Meņģelsone reminded in her interview that Višņakovs is an experienced doctor.
«We must give him a chance and time,» the minister said.
Višņakovs entered his new post on the 9th of January in order to ensure progress of already initiated processes important to the hospital. He also intends to participate in efforts to resolve the situation involving Latvian Oncological Centre.
RAKUS had previously extended admission of candidates for the post of the hospital’s chairman until the 25th of November. RAKUS council member Valts Ābols told LETA in a past interview that the interest for the aforementioned post is lower than expected.
The selection commission received a total of 25 applications. Only half were found fitting for the requirements presented to potential candidates.
Imants Paeglītis was the chairman of RAKUS until recently. At the start of 2023 his five-year term came to an end. Paeglītis previously said he would not run for a repeated term.
Also read: Minister of Health gives RAKUS one month to resolve «oncological scandal»