RIGA - The Latvian parliament has approved Baiba Rozentale as the new health minister following the sudden resignation of Ivars Eglitis, who stood down in protest over planned painful reforms to the health care sector.
Rozentale, a member of the People's Party, was voted in 61-21 following an emergency parliamentary session on June 29.
Rozentale, who was not available for comment when contacted by The Baltic Times, has previously said her priorities would include setting up a crisis team to carry out structural reforms in the healthcare sector and optimizing the number of Health Ministry agencies.
The newly appointed minister is expected to follow through on cuts to the number of hospitals, beds and healthcare employees.
However, Rozentale has stressed any cuts would not be taken without a full assessment and that her commitment remained the provision of quality healthcare services for all Latvian residents.
Rozentale, who was nominated for the position by the former health minister, is a qualified physician and has headed the Latvian Infectious Diseases Center since 2001.
Eglitis quit on June 17 after signing off on reforms to the sector, but refusing to implement the government's changes, which would have seen funding for healthcare slip below 3 percent of GDP.
The move followed the government's June 11 announcement that it planned to slash the budget deficit by 500 million lats (771.4 million euros) in a bid to secure the next installment of a 7.5 billion euro bailout package by international lenders, including the European Commission and International Monetary Fund.
Under the wide reaching measure, healthcare funding will be cut by 45 million lats.
In a prepared statement following the former minister's decision to step down, the prime minister expressed gratitude for Eglitis' contribution, but maintained healthcare reforms are a necessary step.
"It is clear that the health care system is facing a process of complicated, urgent and essential reforms. The decision will require political will and determination, and conviction that the end result is adequate for such a health care model which should already have been introduced some years ago," Dombrovskis said.
"If the minister honestly admits to be unable to manage these reforms, his resignation is sensible and acceptable."
In a television interview on "900 sekundes" (900 seconds), Eglitis said Rozentale's education and political experience made her an obvious choice for the role.
However, non-governmental organization Transparency International Latvia has questioned Rozentale's suitability for the position.
The organization's head, Laura Mikelsone, told media that while head of the Infectious Diseases Center there were suspicions Rozentale was paid by pharmaceutical companies in a deal that saw the agency buy medications from specific suppliers.
The State Audit Office alleged Rozentale had illegitimately overspent 153,515 lats on bonuses for employees, and that the agency's accountancy data had been unlawfully altered.
Rozentale, who graduated from the Riga Medical Institute in 1979, also served as a Riga city councilwoman from 2001 until 2005 as a member of the Latvian Social Democratic Workers' Party.
She remains a professor at Riga Stradins University, a board member at the Latvian Association of Physicians, the head of Certification Board at the association, and a member at the International Society for Infectious Diseases.
In 2004 she was awarded the Order of the Three Stars - Latvia's highest honor.
Saeima [parliament] members from Harmony Center and For Human Rights In United Latvia voted against Rozentale, as did independent Saeima member Aigars Stokenbergs. Another independent Saeima member, Visvaldis Lacis, abstained.
Five Saeima members of ruling coalition party Civic Union did not vote.
