Minister of Health Līga Meņģelsone has fought for dignified and adequate funding for healthcare, said the head of Latvian Trade Union of Health and Social Care Workers (LVSADA) Valdis Keris, looking back at the minister’s first 100 days of term.
According to him, Meņģelsone continued fighting even after it became clear the funding for healthcare will not be higher than what the government approved for the state budget plan. This year funding for healthcare in Latvia will be EUR 1.6 billion. Keris is grateful to the minister for this. However, he refrains from commenting what could come next, because there are topics that are a source of doubts and concerns.
As for PM Krišjānis Kariņš, Keris considers his work irresponsible and unprofessional.
According to him,
«starving the healthcare sector, knowing it would limit access to healthcare services and reduce their quality, as well as cause thousands of deaths, is low in regards to Latvian residents».
On the 9th of March the Saeima passed the state budget for 2023 and contents for the medium-term budget for the next three years.
According to the initial budget plan, the consolidated budget revenue for 2023 is planned at EUR 12.7 billion, whereas expenditures are planned at EUR 14.7 billion.
Also read: Riga City Council to increase budget expenditures by nearly EUR 150 million