Continuing to address the issue of attracting human resources in the field of health care, the Ministry of Health (MoF) has prepared amendments to several regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers, which were approved by the government on Tuesday, August 18. Significant changes – relaxed requirements so that doctors in the diaspora who want to move to Latvia can continue their professional work here, the MoD points out.
In order to ensure the possibility for physicians living in the diaspora to continue their professional activities when moving to Latvia, the procedure for registration in the Register of Medical Practitioners and Medical Support Persons has been facilitated. Namely, if a medical practitioner (with a diploma obtained in Latvia) has worked in a profession outside Latvia in a Member State of the European Economic Area or Switzerland for at least three years in the last five years and wants to continue working in Latvia, the person will have to submit certain certificates of professional activity abroad.
A person will also be able to do it remotely, for example, while still outside Latvia, and if everything is correct, return to Latvia immediately to work. Until now, the so-called “registry exam” had to be taken, which made the process more difficult. As a result, it will be a positive impulse for Latvia to return highly qualified specialists in the field of health care.
The procedure for employment of residents has also been improved, the ministry notes. At present, in addition to the prescribed study process, residents also work in the medical profession outside the residency in the same or another medical institution. This is a common practice, but residents do not have the opportunity to work extra in their chosen specialty.
The government decided that starting from the third year of study, the resident will have the opportunity to work in the respective specialty under the guidance of a certified specialist.
The data of the register show that in September 2019, 1,539 out of 1,869 residents were additionally employed as doctors outside the acquisition of the residency study program. In the future, they will also be able to work in their chosen specialty, such as anaesthesiology. This would also be one of the additional tools to attract the new specialist to the future job – while working, the work environment is introduced and a connection is created, which can then promote the desire to stay in the particular medical institution after the residency.
In turn, in order to reduce the fragmentation of the regulated professions in the health care sector, the profession of dental nurse and dental assistant will be combined into one – dental assistant. This norm will come into force simultaneously with the amendments to the law On regulated professions and recognition of professional qualifications. The professional standard of the dental assistant has already been improved and approved, as well as work is underway to improve the educational programs so that training can be implemented in the next academic year in accordance with the new standard. Existing dental nurses can continue working and the profession will be changed at the time of re-registration.
Eliminating the fragmentation of professions in the sector was also one of the recommendations of the State Audit Office.
Also, when transposing the European directive, a probationary period is set for persons who have received medical or nursing education abroad, but want to work in Latvia without a certain length of service. Accordingly, if a person lacks work experience in a particular profession abroad, there will be a period of up to three years in Latvia during which the person will be able to work in a medical institution under the supervision of a specific certified person.
Whether such a probationary period is applicable, where a person will be able to work and what duties to perform is determined by the Latvian Medical Association, the Latvian Nurses’ Association or the Latvian Association of Medical Professionals. The decision on whether a person can start working in Latvia independently will be made by the above-mentioned organizations and the medical practitioner under whose supervision the person worked. It should be added that the specific person must know the Latvian language, therefore this norm will not be applicable to foreign citizens without knowledge of the Latvian language who want to work in Latvia.
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