RIGA, Oct 6 (LETA) - The Covid-19 crisis has revealed an insufficient number of staff and beds in hospitals, which should be addressed urgently, Dainis Sirovs, Chairman of the Board of Ogre Hospital, told LETA.

He pointed out that the targeted reduction of the number of emergency hospitals in the last 20 years has revealed how wrong such decisions were, which should be corrected.

"Basically, the health care system has reached a breaking point. If Riga 1st Hospital, Sigulda Hospital and Bauska Hospital once provided emergency care, now these hospitals have re-profiled their operations and cannot help the residents of Pieriga. It is good that we still managed to retain our hospital. Currently, about 40 percent of patients receiving treatment at Ogre Hospital are from other regions," said Sirovs.

The chairman of the board emphasized that Ogre Hospital is working at 98-99 percent capacity at all times, therefore, in his opinion, there is a constant emergency situation at the hospital. "In addition, during the pandemic, medics have become exhausted,  as there has not been time to rest due to insufficient human resources. If there were fewer patients earlier in the summer, then this year there has been no such moment of respite," said Sirovs.

He raised the issue of insufficient funding of residencies from the state budget, as a result of which young doctors leave for Sweden and Germany after six years of study, thus the state loses new specialists, which are so much needed.

Sirovs predicted a very difficult winter. He is worried about how many medics will be able to work, because currently five colleagues who had been vaccinated against Covid-19 are ill and unable to work.