Residents of Daugavpils region will be able to consult emergency doctors in Braslav region

Braslav and Daugavpils medics are starting to implement a joint project. Over 220 thousand euros will be invested in the base of the Braslav District Hospital within the next year.

— This project is part of the cross-border cooperation program "Latvia — Lithuania — Belarus," says the chief physician of the Central District Hospital, Alexander Makarevich. — Its goal is to create conditions for the accessibility of cross-border primary healthcare services in the territory of the Daugavpils region and the Braslav district.

First of all, as Alexander Vladimirovich explained, the Braslav District Polyclinic will undergo a major computerization. A total of 29 computers and a server will be installed, and a local network will be equipped, which will allow local medics to exchange necessary information with their Latvian colleagues if needed.

In addition, new furniture will be purchased for the polyclinic, and a significant amount of work will be completed to create a barrier-free environment and appropriate conditions for patients with disabilities. By the way, every third resident of the Braslav region is of retirement age. For elderly people, as well as mothers with young children, visually impaired patients, not to mention wheelchair users, it is not easy to navigate stairs, ramps, and other obstacles on their way to the doctor's office.

Eleven FAPs (Feldshers-midwife points) with doctor's consultation rooms, located near the Belarusian border in the Daugavpils region, are also subject to improvement.

— The total budget of the new European Union project is almost 700 thousand euros, — notes Nina Puchinskaya, Chairperson of the Braslav District Executive Committee. — This is a very important matter for our district. In accordance with the international agreement between Latvia and Belarus on simplified border crossing, over 19 thousand permits have been issued to residents of the border areas in less than two years. Today, dozens of Latvians visit our region daily to see relatives and for recreation. If necessary, local ambulances and the polyclinic provide them with services. Last year, more than 100 foreigners used the healthcare services of the Braslav region. In short, receiving medical assistance in another state in border regions is a common occurrence.

Therefore, recently, Braslav and Latvian medics, as well as representatives of authorities, gathered in Daugavpils to discuss in detail the issues of implementing a mutually beneficial project for both sides. Our specialists familiarized themselves with the primary healthcare system in Malinovskaya volost, visited the urological center, and developed a plan for joint actions with foreign colleagues to provide citizens in the border territories of both countries with effective and high-quality medical services.

Elena Begunova, "Respublika"