Ombudsperson: “If there aren’t enough resources for everyone, a child can’t be the one left waiting lastly.

On September 16, the State Audit Office of the Republic of Latvia presented an audit report titled “Children’s Health Care – A Lottery Based on Place of Residence.”. The report highlights systemic problems that not only contradict the priority established by national law, child health care as a priority, but also demonstrate that there is, in fact, a regional lack of access to various medical specialists and health care services.

Timely, good-quality and affordable healthcare for children is a legal obligation of the state of Latvia, a human rights issue, and an integral part of demographic policy. The right to health protection is enshrined both in the Constitution of Latvia (Satversme) and in several international human rights documents. It is particularly important that children are granted priority protection in the area of health care.

“From my very first day ias an Ombudsperson, the rights of children have been one of my top priorities, but children’s rights must not be the sole priority of the Ombudsperson’s office. They must be a national priority -including a priority for the Parliament, the government, ministries, and every institution whose decisions affect a child’s life. If the state declares children a priority, that priority must be reflected in practice. If there aren’t enough resources for everyone, a child cannot be the one left waiting until last,” Ombudsperson Karina Palkova emphasizes in her speech.

Timely, good-quality and affordable healthcare for children is a legal obligation of the state, a human rights issue, and an integral part of demographic policy.


The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child specifies that member states recognize every child’s right to the highest attainable standard of health. The best interests of the child must be a primary consideration not only in individual decisions regarding a specific child, but also in the planning and organization of the health care system.

This includes making decisions regarding the financing of children’s health care, the organization of the service network, the availability of medical specialists, and ensuring access to health care services in different regions.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child expressed concerns already in 2016 about lengthy waiting times and limited access to specialized health care services, which in practice hinder effective access to free medical services for children. Ten years ago, when assessing the situation in Latvia, the Committee also pointed out disparities in children’s access to health care services between those living in rural and urban areas.

The health of children is the basis for their ability to obtain a quality education, address health issues in a timely manner, and ensure a higher quality of life and a longer, healthier life in the future. The state must not ignore these issues or postpone addressing them until later phases in life.

“At present, there is a high likelihood of violations of children’s rights as set out in the Constitution (Satversme) and international human rights documents. herefore, I have already begun to assess whether the existing legal framework in the field of children’s health care, its application, and the practices implemented by the state are in compliance with the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution of the Republic of Latvia. This assessment is also related to the right granted to me under the Ombudsman Law to appeal to the Constitutional Court if a violation of fundamental rights is found,” said Ombudsperson Karina Palkova

The State Audit Office calls on the relevant institutions and officials to take note of the findings revealed in the audit and to take concrete steps to address the identified problems, emphasizing that these problems did not arise overnight.

This will require the commitment of the entire sector, the government, and the agreement of all political forces represented in the Parliament (Saeima).
The Ombudsperson expresses gratitude to the State Audit Office, which is determinedly addressing issues related to access to health care, as well as to the healthcare professionals who dedicate their work to the well-being of the nation’s children. We express our hope that the next Parliament (Saeima) and Government will be able to join forces to tackle these urgent and high-priority issues in a goal-oriented manner.