The mission of Ronald McDonald House in Latvia is to create, develop, and support programs that make a direct and long-term contribution to the health and well-being of children in Latvia. We believe that every child has the right to timely, high-quality health care, regardless of where they live, their family’s financial situation, or their social circumstances.
In collaboration with doctors and specialists from the “Children’s Clinical University Hospital,” we travel throughout Latvia to bring healthcare services closer to families with children. In many regions, access to specialists remains limited, and families often have to travel long and difficult distances to reach medical facilities. Therefore, our mission is to reduce this inequality and ensure that children have the opportunity to receive the necessary consultations in a timely manner, closer to their homes, schools, and daily lives.
Our main program, “Children’s Health Bus,” is a specially equipped mobile health care center with two doctors’ offices, one of which is specifically adapted for (eye doctor) consultations and equipped with the necessary diagnostic equipment. It is a provider of outpatient medical services registered in Latvia that delivers professional, high-quality healthcare to children in Latvia’s regions.
Busiņa’s team includes 18 doctors from 10 different specialties, including a pediatric pulmonologist, an otolaryngologist, a pediatric neurologist, an ophthalmologist, a physical and rehabilitation medicine specialist, an allergist, a pediatric endocrinologist, a pediatric gastroenterologist, a dermatologist, and pediatric surgeons/orthopedists. This multidisciplinary approach allows children to receive consultations from various specialists in one place and to begin the necessary treatment or rehabilitation in a timely manner.
The goal of the Children’s Health Bus is to provide 5,300 free, high-quality medical consultations to families with children throughout Latvia over the course of a year. But behind every number is a specific child, a family, and an opportunity to receive help when it is needed most.
We want to build a Latvia where children’s healthcare is accessible, timely, and equitable for all children, regardless of whether they live in a major city or a more remote region of Latvia. With every visit, we not only provide medical consultations but also give families a sense of security, support, and the assurance that help is within reach.
For more than 16 years, the Ronald McDonald House in Latvia has been working to ensure that children throughout Latvia receive timely and professional health care, regardless of where they live or their families’ financial circumstances.
At the heart of our work is the belief that early diagnosis and access to specialists can be crucial to a child’s health and quality of life. That’s why we don’t wait for families to come to the doctors—we bring the doctors to the children.
Through the “Children’s Health Bus” program, we regularly travel to regions across Latvia, providing children with free consultations with pediatric specialists closer to where they live.
Since 2010, we have provided:
These figures represent not only consultations, but also early diagnoses, treatment started sooner, and families receiving the necessary assistance in a timely manner.
Our work reduces inequalities in access to healthcare in Latvia. Families in rural areas often have difficulty accessing pediatric specialists, especially those with narrow specializations. This leads to long wait times, additional costs, and the risk of delayed diagnosis.
Timely assistance means:
At the same time, we are also strengthening the overall healthcare system by providing more accessible and better-coordinated support for children throughout Latvia.
Our impact would not be possible without the public’s involvement. Every donation helps support the doctors’ work, field trips, medical equipment, and the opportunity for children to receive care free of charge.
