Latvia, Legislation, Markets and Companies, Medicine, Strike
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Thursday, 28.03.2024, 09:39
18.5% Latvian family physicians' practices inspected participate in protest campaign
The Health Inspectorate said that the inspection were conducted to reveal
the practices which had not officially announced their participation in the
protest. Altogether 599 practices were inspected, and most of them or 53.8%
were not participating in the protest at the time of the inspection and 23.5%
had withdrawn from the protest campaign.
According to the inspectorate, despite a number of complaints received on
the phone or by e-mail about the family physicians' practices requiring
patients to pay for the government-paid services they received during the
protest as for private medical services, only three complaints have been lodged
officially.
The Health Inspectorate is reviewing those complaints, and, if those
complaints proved to be substantiated, the medical establishment in question
will have to refund the patients for the excess amount of the fee.
As reported, over 600 family physicians in Latvia went on a strike at noon
on July 3, ceasing to provide any government-funded health care services to
their patients until an agreement is reached with the Latvian government on the
demands by the family physicians, including the increase of the capitation. As
of July 18, the protest form was altered and now family physicians accept no
more than 20 patients a day. The protest in this form is to continue until
October 1.