Analytics, Education and Science, Latvia

In Mezeckis opinion, it is paradoxical that state funding for doctors' internships has significantly increased, but the quality of education is still poor, infoms LETA.

For example, young doctors need to have Internet access both at the university and in medical institutions, but this is not available everywhere. Often, necessary textbooks are unavailable for young doctors. Mezeckis pointed out that, according to legislation, both the state and medical institutions should provide textbooks.

At the present moment, new doctors are paid more than LVL 400 per month by the state. The funding has most significantly grown in the past few years, Mezekcis informed. Previously, the young doctors only received LVL 150 or LVL 170 per month.

Thus, Mezeckis concludes that money is being wasted, as funding has increased, but the quality of education has not.

The young doctors are also expecting implementation of the health minister's plan to give young doctors the possibility of acquiring practical knowledge also in regional hospitals, as at the present moment all are forced to undergo the internship in hospitals in Riga. Often, hospitals in Riga do not intend to employ the interns and thus make them carry out irrelevant duties, which do not promote acquisition of practical skills in their field.

Mezeckis also informed that lately, the number of interns has grown. At the present moment there are more than 470 in Latvia.