Financial Services, Latvia, Loan, Markets and Companies, Medicine

The Health Ministry wants to suggest that hospitals' debts be included in a separate budget program. To which the Finance Ministry's Parliamentary Secretary Arvils Aseradens (Unity) replied that this was against the government's action plan, and that the debts would have to be returned using funds from the Health Ministry's budget.

Zvidrina commented that this could lead to higher payments for patients, longer lines, or limited access to some of the healthcare services.

Zvidrina went on to say that the Health Ministry would turn to the government again once the work on the 2015 state budget commences.

According to the Health Ministry's data, eleven hospitals have to repay a total of EUR 6.77 million, including interest, to their lenders this year. Next year the amount will be EUR 7.78 million, and slightly more than EUR 8 million in 2017.

Since 2002, the state has underwritten over EUR 200 million borrowed by eleven Latvian hospitals. The amount that hospitals are yet to return to banks and other lenders is more than EUR 182 million.