On Thursday, the Latvian Parliament adopted amendments to the Medical Treatment Law in the third reading, granting Emergency Medical Service (NMPD) staff the right to carry and use pepper spray for self-defence.
The amendments also allow NMPD workers to use body-worn cameras during calls when there is a threat to life or health. The recordings may be used as evidence in cases involving legal violations.
The recordings will be used solely to assess the situation and level of threat and will be shared with relevant authorities if needed. If no threat to life or health is found, the recording will be automatically deleted within 48 hours.
Although emergency vehicles are equipped with cabin cameras and SOS buttons, paramedics are often left unprotected at call locations such as stairwells, remote areas, or private apartments. In such situations, body cameras serve as a key legal safeguard, the service explains.
The law also allows the use of pepper spray in situations of direct and immediate danger to life or health. Its use is strictly for self-defence in extreme circumstances, and never without justified cause, the NMPD emphasized.
The changes were deemed necessary due to frequent encounters with aggressive patients or their relatives,
which can endanger the lives and health of medical staff, as noted in the bill’s annotation.
NMPD director Liene Cipule has previously highlighted incidents where staff members have sustained injuries—including a case where a person armed with a knife stabbed a medic in the chest.
Paramedics often respond to calls involving intoxicated individuals, increasing the risk of physical assaults. Because such risks are frequent, pepper spray and body cameras are essential tools for enhancing worker safety, Cipule stressed.
Health Minister Hossam Abu Meri (JV) described the amendments as a matter of national responsibility toward people who save lives daily without knowing what dangers await them. He said it was a strategic task the Health Ministry has pursued for some time.
According to NMPD data, there were ten assaults on medics in 2022; by 2023, that number had doubled to 20.
Body cameras have proven effective both in Latvia and abroad. For instance, Riga Municipal Police reported a significant drop in aggression following the introduction of body cameras. A similar trend was observed at the London Ambulance Service, where cameras have become standard equipment and are effective at de-escalating conflicts.
As previously reported by the Health Ministry’s parliamentary secretary Dace Kļaviņa, 200 body cameras and 810 pepper spray canisters have already been purchased at a total cost of 301 616 euros. The ministry has pledged to cover future costs from its own budget.
The NMPD is currently resolving technical matters, testing the cameras, and preparing a training program. Additional training sessions will focus on safety during calls, conflict management, and procedures in high-risk situations.
The NMPD maintains close cooperation with the State Police. In cases of physical or verbal aggression toward medics or intentional damage to emergency equipment, the NMPD immediately refers the matter for police investigation and prosecution. Several criminal proceedings have resulted in prison sentences and financial compensation for the victims.