Latvia: Family doctors in may go on strike due to lack of funding

Family doctors in Latvia are considering going on strike in autumn 2023, LETA reports. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Ainis Dzalbs, board member of the Latvian Association of Rural Family Physicians (LLGAA), insisted that the lack of budget funding made it impossible to provide proper patient care. He noted that patient queues currently exceeded the allowed waiting time. Earlier, the government allocated an additional EUR 57mn for health care, with 10% of the sum going to family doctors. However, the funding is contingent on performance results. Family doctor Zane Berga argued that the requirements were unrealistic. Also, she pointed to a shortage of support staff.