Latvian Hospitals Association Criticizes Government Over Lack of Clear Health Funding Pledge

Latvia’s Hospitals Association has criticized the government for acknowledging a major health-care funding need without making a clear commitment to provide the money in next year’s budget.

The association said a parliamentary health subcommittee had asked the government to make health care a priority while preparing the 2027 state budget. The government’s response says its action plan aims to raise health-care funding to 12% of government expenditure, but it does not explicitly promise to allocate the additional amount identified by the Health Ministry.

The ministry calculated that implementing the sector’s 2027 priorities would require an extra 663 million euros. The largest share, 308.6 million euros, would improve the availability and quality of services, including reducing waiting lists for specialist consultations, examinations and planned operations, as well as revising service tariffs.

A further 130.3 million euros would support reimbursed medicines and medical supplies. Another 82.3 million euros would fund cancer care, maternal and child health, cardiovascular disease and rare-disease plans. Primary care and family doctor practices would need 22.9 million euros, while 45.2 million euros would support competitive pay for medical staff and expand medical education capacity.

The document also lists mental-health and addiction-prevention measures, public-health and prevention programs, digitalization, emergency medical services, agency priorities, infrastructure and medical technology upgrades. The Cabinet, however, said fiscal space for 2027 was forecast at minus 28 million euros, with larger deficits expected in later years. It concluded that additional state funding would not be possible without compensatory measures, while acknowledging that Latvia’s current health-care funding remains insufficient and among the lowest in the European Union.