Banks, Financial Services, Forum, Medicine

Rietumu Bank’s Charity Fund has been supporting the Children’s Hospital for almost two decades. The repairs to the Neurosurgical Department of this hospital, performed in 2001-2002, became the first social project of Rietumu Bank in the field of medicine. Since then, the Fund has helped the hospital repeatedly in the acquisition of the most advanced equipment, in particular, for new-born children who critically need special care.

Over 10 years ago, it was in the Children’s Hospital where the Fund started its annual campaign “Our Search for the Best Nurse”, conducted under the patronage of the first lady of this country. Within the framework of this campaign, through voting of patients and their families, the best Latvian nurses are determined, who receive honorary prizes from the president and the first lady, as well as cash bonuses from Rietumu Bank’s Charity Fund.

The “Bērnu slimnīcas lepnums” award was established by the Fund specially for nurses of the Children’s Hospital in 2008. Over recent years, it has been granted to more than 25 medical nurses whose professionalism and contribution to the treatment of little patients was most highly praised by the hospital administration.

According to Chairperson of the Board of Rietumu Bank’s Charity Fund, Inga Shina, “For such hard, responsible and important work of a medical nurse, there can never be too much recognition. Therefore, we try to use all opportunities for supporting our nurses. And it is no less important to attract the attention of society to their work and the importance of their profession. Let’s value and remember those who stay with us at the most difficult moments of our lives, certainly including nurses, who help our children to recover, and also comfort and support them and us, their parents, in hard times.”

This year, Rietumu Charity Fund awarded the honorary prize – a bronze image in the shape of an apple and cash bonuses in the amount of EUR 700 to three nurses of the Children’s Hospital – Sofja Tomase, Dita Raiska and Sandra Jirgensone.

The awards ceremony was timed to coincide with the 120th anniversary celebrated by the Children’s Hospital this year.