RIGA, June 18 (LETA) - Riga lacks a lower-level hospital, Health Minister Hosams Abu Meri (New Unity) said in an interview on commercial TV3 television.

He emphasized that a large proportion of patients at the Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS) come from Riga, and not all of them require care at a hospital of this level.

"Some of them could be treated at any small hospital," the minister admitted.

He stressed that this highlights the need to invest in so-called quotas so that residents can see specialists more quickly, as well as to improve the availability of on-call doctors and family doctors, including outside of regular working hours.

The minister also stressed that the sector continues to lack funding. He expressed hope that the new government understands the importance of the health sector, which, in his view, is at times even more important than security. "After all, how could I be ready to defend the country if I were sick?" the minister asked rhetorically.

As reported, following the formation of queues of NMPD crews at the PSKUS admissions desk, the Ministry of Health, the NMPD, and hospital representatives agreed on measures to improve the organization of patient flow and reduce the burden on hospitals.

A meeting was held at the ministry on Wednesday with NMPD administration and representatives from PSKUS and Riga East University Hospital (RAKUS) to discuss the organization of patient flow and ensure timely access to healthcare. This issue was brought to light by the queue of NMPD ambulances waiting at the PSKUS admissions desk, which resulted in delays for patients and could potentially have impacted the emergency teams’ ability to respond promptly.

At the PSKUS admissions department, ambulance crews often face hours-long delays. In early June, one crew had to wait nearly two hours before a patient could be admitted. A similar situation had also arisen in March of last year.

Stradins Hospital explained to LETA that patient flow issues at the hospital’s admission are not solely related to its operations, but also to the hospital’s overall workload, the number of available beds, and the complexity of patient care.

Similarly, Dace Zentiņa, a member of the PSKUS board, stated that Riga lacks either another emergency medical care hospital, or a hospital capable of treating patients who do not require the highest level of medical care.

Meanwhile, Liene Cipule, director of the NMPD, told LETA that a situation where several emergency medical teams are waiting simultaneously at a hospital’s admissions department clearly demonstrates the system’s insufficient preparedness for crisis conditions.