Latvian Health Minister Ivars Eglitis' idea to legitimize cash payments many patients make to their doctors is utterly absurd, the head of Latvian Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau believes. KNAB head Aleskejs Loskutovs told journalists that he would definitely object to making such cash payments legal. Under the health minister's proposal, patients would be given an opportunity to thank their doctors by paying a certain sum to the hospital, which in turn would pass it on to the doctor.
He pointed out that such situation would only continue to cripple the health care system and would exacerbate the problem in the country. Moreover, Loskutovs said, patients too have rejected the minister's initiative.
"Road police also do not earn much, then maybe they should also adopt a system allowing people to pay money to the State Police which would then pass it on to the concrete cop, and it would be perfectly legal," Loskutovs said.
In his opinion, Health Minister Eglitis should fight for an increase in medics' salaries or seek ways of helping doctors to develop their private practices.
Eglitis has proposed to make patients' cash payments to their doctors legal by defining them as voluntary donations that could be made to hospitals and that would ultimately end up in the doctors' pockets. Such arrangement would help medics and patients avoid direct pecuniary relations that Eglitis regards as humiliating.
By LatviaNews.Com
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Latvian anti-corruption chief calls proposal to legitimize cash payments to doctors absurd