Around 500 people take part in protest organized by medics' trade union

• Published date: 27 July 2022
• Publication title: LETA

RIGA, July 27 (LETA) - A protest by the Health Ministry, organized by the Latvian Trade Union of Health and Social Care Employees (LVSADA), gathered around 500 participants on Wednesday, LETA observed.

Participants of the protest included people of various health care professions - medical nurses, their assistants, support staff, orderlies and others.

The protesters held various posters with slogans like "I want to see the doctor today, not after death!", "The government does not hear us!", "Promises before the elections, amnesia after the elections" and others.

Sarmite Plume, deputy head of the medics' strike committee and leader of the medics' union at Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital, said at the protest that many physicians in Latvia are well paid and are not interested in any change, but there are also medics that earn their salaries by combining several jobs in public and private health care institutions. Doctors' assistants, medical nurses, orderlies, cleaners and others are also involved in the health care process, and each one of them deserves decent remuneration for their work, Plume said.

She also voiced disappointment about Health Minister Daniels Pavluts' (Development/For) failure to show up at the rally. In Plume's view, the health minister should be with the sector's employees, supporting them.

Ilze Aizsilniece, president of the Latvian Medical Association, indicated that the average health care expenditure in Europe is around EUR 2,500 per capita, while Latvia spends only EUR 850 per capita, so the problem not just the medics' wages. According to Aizsilniece, the protest is also about timely diagnosing, access to medicines, timely operations and reducing the long waiting lines.

LVSADA chairman Valdis Keris told LETA that the goal of Wednesday's protest was achieved, as the public, Health Ministry and politicians were informed about the shortages of money in the health sector and the medics'...