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DownloadCOUNTRY: Latvia
KNOWLEDGE BROKER: Kristīne Kļaviņa, Head of Department, Human Resources Development Division, Ministry of Health, Latvia
SEPEN thanks the knowledge brokers for their contribution in checking and completing the country-information. SEPEN is accountable for the content of the country profiles.
| Type of information | Source | Year | Remarks |
| Table 1: Health workforce stock and replacement | OECD | 2018 | Age characteristics of the nursing stock are not reported. |
| Figure 1: Mobility level in absolute numbers | OECD | 2018 | Only immigration data for OECD countries are available. The data produced are therefore incomplete. Not all OECD-countries register the country of origin of incoming health professionals and some do not register incoming health professionals at all. Emigration data are based on immigration numbers in other OECD-countries, as emigration as such is not registered nor reported. |
| Figure 2a: Number of practicing physicians per 1000 inhabitants | Eurostat | 2018 | Figure 2a presents regional distribution of physicians. Maps are formatted according to the NUTS classification obtained from Eurostat or recent national data provided by the key country informants. The national average is derived from the OECD/Eurostat databases, and the EU average from the “Health at a Glance: Europe” report published in November 2020. |
| Figure 2b: Number of practicing nurses and midwives per 1000 inhabitants | Eurostat | 2018 | Figure 2b presents regional distrubution of nursing and midwifery. Maps are formatted according to the NUTS classification obtained from Eurostat or recent national data provided by the key country informants. The national average is derived from the OECD/Eurostat databases, and the EU average from the “Health at a Glance: Europe” report published in November 2020. |
| Statistic | Number | Data Year |
| Total population | 1 919 968 | 2019 |
| Life expectancy at birth | 75,1 | 2018 |
Source: Eurostat
| Licensed to practice | Practising | Professionally active | |||||
| Statistic | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Number | Per 1000 inhabitants | Data year |
| Physicians | 8 773 | 4,55 | 6 367 | 3,30 | 6 463 | 3,35 | 2018 |
| > Generalist Medical Practitioner | Not reported | Not reported | 1 411 | 0,73 | Not reported | Not reported | 2018 |
| > Specialist Medical Practitioner | Not reported | Not reported | 4 956 | 2,57 | Not reported | Not reported | 2018 |
| Nurses | 12 479 | 6,48 | 8 392 | 4,35 | 8 412 | 4,36 | 2018 |
| Midwives | 615 | 0,32 | 396 | 0,21 | 396 | 0,21 | 2018 |
| Dentists | 1 796 | 0,93 | 1 361 | 0,71 | 1 363 | 0,71 | 2018 |
| Pharmacists | 2 158 | 1,12 | 1 650 | 0,86 | 1 708 | 0,89 | 2018 |
| Physiotherapists | Not reported | Not reported | 801 | 0,42 | Not reported | Not reported | 2018 |
Source: OECD
Not reported
| Name | Role | Website |
| Health Inspectorate of Latvia | Performing state administration functions in the field of supervision and control of the healthcare sector, including the maintenance of the Register of Medical Institutions and the Register of Medical Persons and Medical Support Persons. | http://www.vi.gov.lv/en |
| Ministry of Health | Developing the national health policy, as well as organizing, coordinating and monitoring its implementation. Supervising the Health Inspectorate of Latvia. | http://www.vm.gov.lv/en/ |
| Name | Role | Website |
| Health Inspectorate of Latvia | Performing state administration functions in the field of supervision and control of the healthcare sector, including the maintenance of the Register of Medical Institutions and the Register of Medical Persons and Medical Support Persons. | http://www.vi.gov.lv/en |
| Ministry of Health | Developing the national health policy, as well as organizing, coordinating and monitoring its implementation. Supervising the Health Inspectorate of Latvia. | http://www.vm.gov.lv/en/ |
| Latvian Hospital Association – LHA (Latvijas Slimnīcu biedrība) | The LHA represents 40 hospitals at four levels, i.e. university hospitals, regional hospitals, local hospitals and day care hospitals. LHA participates in the tripartite social dialogue and in the sectoral social dialogue, whilst locally it carries out collective bargaining at hospital level. | http://lsb.lv/ |
| Name | Role | Website |
| Latvian Physicians’ Association | Protecting the professional, economic and legal interests of Latvian doctors; promoting Latvian public health, as well as continuous improvement of Latvian health care system and qualification of doctors. | http://www.arstubiedriba.lv/ |
| Latvian Nurses’ Association | Representing nurses; Engage in health policy development to improve health care; Promoting professional development. | http://www.masuasociacija.lv/ |
| Name | Role | Website |
| Academic Information Center |
Information authority for the recognition of foreign professional qualifications in the regulated professions. Carrying out examination of foreign diplomas in Latvia, providing information on the Latvian education system to ENIC / NARIC network, foreign higher education institutions, interested parties in Latvia. |
http://www.aic.lv/portal/lv |
| Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Faculty of Medicine | The departments within the Faculty of Medicine coordinate the training of students in all clinical and theoretical medical disciplines. In cooperation with the institutions of higher education and scientific institutes in other countries the faculty departments have become scientific schools and research centres, ensuring the professional quality of the RSU academic teaching staff. | https://www.rsu.lv/en/faculty-medicine |
| Riga Medical College of the University of Latvia (LU RMK) | Riga Medical College of the University of Latvia (LU RMK) is a state accredited professional higher education institution. | https://rmkoledza.lu.lv/lv/ |
| Original name | Reformu turpināšanai |
| Name in English | Healthcare reform |
| Short description | Ongoing institutional healthcare reform |
| Publication date | 8 August 2019 |
| Link to full text | http://www.vm.gov.lv/lv/aktualitates/paveiktais_artura_krisjana_karina_valdibas_pirmaja_gada/ |
| Original name | Atbalsts ārstniecības personu darbam ārpus Rīgas |
| Name in English | Improving the availability of medical and medical support persons outside Riga |
| Short description | In 2018, support measures started within the ESF project: Improving the availability of medical and medical support persons outside Riga to attract medical practitioners (doctors and nurses) to work in regions and thus reduce the lack of these specialists outside Riga. |
| Publication date | 31 May 2018 |
| Link to full text | http://www.vm.gov.lv/lv/aktualitates/preses_relizes/5719_atbalsts_arstniecibas_personu_darbam_arpus_rigas/ |
| Original name | Valsts apmaksātās rezidenturas vietas |
| Name in English | State-paid residency places |
| Short description | Fixing annual specialist resident posts in medical schools |
| Publication date | 2019 |
| Link to full text | http://www.vm.gov.lv/images/userfiles/rakstuatteli/rezidenti_2019.jpg.png |
| Original name | Feldšerpunkti |
| Name in English | Creation of the medical assistant job profile |
| Short description |
In areas where the general practitioner has difficulty accessing, a medical assistant is available. It carries out patient care, participates in medical treatment, educates patients on health issues, as well as examines patients, diagnoses the disease and performs treatment. |
| Publication date | 13 May 2019 |
| Link to full text | http://www.vm.gov.lv/lv/tava_veseliba/gimenes_arsti/feldserpunkti/ |
| Original name | ERDF-funded project in Latvia |
| Name in English | ERDF-funded project in Latvia |
| Short description |
European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)-funded project in Latvia aiming to improve the quality of healthcare services in the country by investing in medical infrastructure and technological developments. The project provides 22 medical institutions across Latvia with funding to improve their infrastructure, acquire new medical technologies and equipment, and advance the functionality of the hospital services. |
| Publication date | 2018 |
| Link to full text | https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/newsroom/news/2018/05/05-04-2018-investing-in-latvian-healthcare |
| Original name | E-veselība |
| Name in English | E-health system |
| Short description | The main objectives of e-health development are to: improve health, promote individual control of their health; reduce wasted time spend on patients contacts with medical institutions; increase the effectiveness of the health care, providing health care specialists with a quick access to necessary patient health data; reduce the amount of information that health care specialists need to enter into the documents; increase the amount and usability of a structured information; increase effectiveness of medical institutions; increase health care data reliability and security. |
| Publication date | 2020 |
| Link to full text | http://www.vm.gov.lv/en/health_care/ehealth/ |
| Original name | Veselības tīklu attīstības vadlīniju un kvalitātes nodrošināšanas sistēmas izstrāde un ieviešana prioritāro jomu ietvaros |
| Name in English | Development and Implementation of Health Network Development Guidelines and Quality Assurance System within Priority Areas |
| Short description |
The National Health Service has started the implementation of the activities co-financed by the European Social Fund No 9.2.3.0 / 15 / I / 001 “Development and Implementation of Health Network Development Guidelines and Quality Assurance System within Priority Areas” . The aim of the project is to provide guidelines for the development of health networks in the fields of cardiovascular, oncology, pediatric (from perinatal and neonatal) and mental health (hereinafter referred to as “priority health”) and to develop and implement a quality assurance system , in particular social exclusion and poverty. improving the health of those at risk. The Health Network Development Guidelines will be the result of a scientific paper outlining directions for developing health and public health policies in the four priority areas of health care. The guidelines will include development plans for priority areas of health and will provide an integrated view of priority areas for health, identifying weaknesses in the health system, their causes and providing solutions to strengthen the weaknesses in the system. The guidelines will address issues related to health promotion, human resource planning, organization of health care delivery, health care basket and service payment, and capital investment planning. |
| Publication date | 5 November 2014 |
| Link to full text | http://www.vmnvd.gov.lv/lv/esf-projekts/projekta-apraksts |
Not reported
| Original name | |
| Name in English | Pre-contracting strategy between students and hospitals |
| Short description | |
| Publication date | |
| Link to full text |
| Original name | Specifiskā atbalsta mērķa “Uzlabot ārstniecības un ārstniecības atbalsta personāla kvalifikāciju” īstenošanas noteikumi |
| Name in English | Implementing provisions for the specific support objective “Improve the qualifications of medical and paramedical personnel” |
| Short description |
The purpose of specific support is to improve the qualifications of medical and paramedical staff in the priority areas of cardiovascular, oncology, perinatal and neonatal, and mental health. The target population for specific support is medical and paramedical staff, social workers and pharmaceutical care providers. |
| Publication date | 8 November 2018 |
| Link to full text | https://likumi.lv/doc.php?id=286413 |
| Original name | Ārstniecības personu sertifikācijas kārtība |
| Name in English | Procedure for certification of medical practitioners |
| Short description | Mandatory CPD framework for physicians, dentists, pharmacists, nurses and midwives |
| Publication date | 18 December 2012 (amended on 31 January 2017) |
| Link to full text | https://likumi.lv/ta/id/288447-grozijumi-ministru-kabineta-2012-gada-18-decembra-noteikumos-nr-943-arstniecibas-personu-sertifikacijas-kartiba-
https://likumi.lv/ta/id/253782-arstniecibas-personu-sertifikacijas-kartiba |
Not reported
| Original name | Noteikumi par zemāko mēnešalgu un speciālo piemaksu veselības aprūpes jomā nodarbinātajiem |
| Name in English | Provisions concerning minimum monthly wages and special allowances for health workers |
| Short description | These regulations prescribe the lowest monthly salaries in local government institutions, state institutions, state and municipal capital companies or public-private capital companies, which have concluded a contract on the provided health care service (hereinafter – medical institution), medical practitioners providing health care services paid for from the State budget, who provide health care services paid for from local government budgets at local government educational institutions (hereinafter – medical practitioner), as well as for emergency medical service drivers of the Emergency Medical Service (hereinafter – vehicle driver); the special premium for work related to special risk (hereinafter – premium), its amounts and the procedure for determination thereof. |
| Publication date | 18 December 2018 |
| Link to full text | https://likumi.lv/ta/id/304001-noteikumi-par-zemako-menesalgu-un-specialo-piemaksu-veselibas-aprupes-joma-nodarbinatajiem
http://www.vm.gov.lv/images/userfiles/rakstuatteli/mediku_atalgojums_2019_jpg.png |
Not reported
List of sources specific to this country:
Lsst updated: 10 October 2020
The country fiches are produced under the EU Health Programme 2014-2020 under a service contract with the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) acting under the mandate from the European Commission. The information and views set out in the country sheets are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission/Executive Agency. The Commission/Executive Agency does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this study.
Neither the Commission/Executive Agency nor any person acting on the Commission’s/Executive Agency’s behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
This website was produced under the EU Health Programme 2014-2020 under a service contract with the Consumers, Health, Agriculture and Food Executive Agency (Chafea) acting under the mandate from the European Commission. The information and views set out in this website are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of the Commission/Executive Agency. The Commission/Executive Agency does not guarantee the accuracy of the data included in this website. Neither the Commission/Executive Agency nor any person acting on the Commission's / Executive Agency's behalf may be held responsible for the use which may be made of the information contained therein.
