85 workers from the private healthcare sector have decided to assist Latvian hospitals with Covid-19 patients and the crisis caused by the pandemic, as confirmed by SIA Veselības centrs 4 board chairman and Latvian Healthcare Employers’ Association board member Māris Rēvalds in an interview to LTV programme Šodienas jautājums.
When asked about ways to motivate people employed in the private sector, Rēvalds said «people should be paid for the work they do, and talks are underway on raising the level of motivation – the Ministry of Health and the government are hard on work on that».
«And, of course, these people ask the obvious question – how big is the pay?»
He explained that private sector workers may not be sent to Covid-19 wards necessarily. At first, these people will be asked to replace hospital workers who were diverted to Covid-19 wards.
Rēvalds also said representatives of the private sector have met with representatives of P.Stradins Clinical University Hospital and Riga Eastern Clinical Hospital. Medical workers that could come and assist hospitals were listed at this meeting. The government has also developed regulations to allow these people to temporarily change jobs.
According to Rēvalds, the people employed simultaneously in the private and state sector have already started helping out hospitals.
Generally speaking, Rēvalds said the situation differs. He compared it to a state of war, adding that «there will always be deserters».
Latvian Minister of Health Daniels Pavļuts explained that based on outlooks from experts, 2 500 to 3 000 people will be hospitalized in the worst case scenario. Experts also say that hospitals will likely remain hospitalized for two months.
More beds and more human resources will be needed. The minister allows that some may come from medical student reserves. Others will need to come from the private sector.
520 people have responded to the invitation from the Ministry of Health to assist with the public healthcare sector. The number is not final, and it may be necessary to organize another invitation. Pavļuts also said human resource-wise, the issue of financing remains unresolved, but it will be resolved at future government meetings.
As previously reported, the total financing necessary to assist hospitals with treatment of Covid-19 patients is EUR 6 554 812, as suggested by Ministry of Health press-secretary Indra Dreika at a government meeting Tuesday, 2 November.
Private sector’s medical workers reach out to assist hospitals overloaded with Covid-19 patients
