{"id":7402,"date":"2026-10-06T19:35:50","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T16:35:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/access-to-healthcare-for-children-bringing-care-within-reach\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T19:48:30","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T16:48:30","slug":"access-to-healthcare-for-children-bringing-care-within-reach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/access-to-healthcare-for-children-bringing-care-within-reach\/","title":{"rendered":"Access to Healthcare for Children: Bringing Care Within Reach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" src=\"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/KL1F7180_Busins-caur-lapam-1-1-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Access to Healthcare for Children\" class=\"wp-image-7399\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/KL1F7180_Busins-caur-lapam-1-1-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/KL1F7180_Busins-caur-lapam-1-1-150x100.jpg 150w, https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/KL1F7180_Busins-caur-lapam-1-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/KL1F7180_Busins-caur-lapam-1-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/wp-content\/uploads\/KL1F7180_Busins-caur-lapam-1-1-2048x1366.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When a child needs medical care, a family\u2019s first concern is knowing where to turn and how soon they can see a doctor. Yet reaching a specialist can involve much more than booking an appointment: repeated phone calls, arranging transport, taking time off work and school, and covering expenses that some families cannot afford. Access to healthcare is therefore closely connected to families\u2019 everyday lives and their ability to obtain the support their children need.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">At Ronald McDonald M\u0101ja Latvij\u0101, this issue is central to our work. Through our Children\u2019s Health Bus, we provide free medical specialist consultations for children in regions across Latvia, closer to where they live. We aim to help reduce the barriers that make it difficult for families to reach a doctor and support timely attention to children\u2019s health.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>What Does the State Audit Office\u2019s Audit Reveal?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">2026. On 16 September 2026, the State Audit Office of Latvia published the findings of its audit examining whether children have priority and equal access to outpatient healthcare services. Its main conclusion was that, although children\u2019s healthcare is recognised as a priority in law, no system has been established to ensure that this priority is put into practice. Access to services varies across Latvia, and receiving care sooner often depends on parents\u2019 ability to pay.    <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lrvk.gov.lv\/lv\/revizijas\/revizijas\/noslegtas-revizijas\/vai-berniem-ir-nodrosinata-prioritara-un-vienlidziga-piekluve-ambulatorajiem-veselibas-aprupes-pakalpojumiem?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State Audit Office of Latvia<\/a><\/p>\n\n<ul start=\"2026\" class=\"wp-block-list\"><\/ul>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The State Audit Office also identified shortcomings in service planning and the accuracy of information. Allocating funding does not, in itself, guarantee that a healthcare provider can actually see a child. For families, this may mean finding a service listed as available but being unable to secure an appointment.   <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lrvk.gov.lv\/lv\/revizijas\/revizijas\/noslegtas-revizijas\/vai-berniem-ir-nodrosinata-prioritara-un-vienlidziga-piekluve-ambulatorajiem-veselibas-aprupes-pakalpojumiem?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State Audit Office of Latvia<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">These findings highlight the importance of assessing access from a family\u2019s perspective. What matters is the practical outcome: whether a child can receive the consultation they need, whether parents have clear information, and whether reaching care is manageable with the resources available to the family. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Where a Child Lives Affects Their Access to Care<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to data published by the State Audit Office, 69% of Latvia\u2019s doctors specialising in children\u2019s care work in Riga. On an average working day, approximately 350 children from other regions travel to the capital to receive state-funded specialist outpatient care. These figures illustrate why distance is an important part of the discussion about access.   <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lrvk.gov.lv\/lv\/jaunumi\/ambulatora-bernu-veselibas-aprupe-ka-prioritate-ne-atri-ne-pietiekami-ne-vienlidzigi?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State Audit Office of Latvia<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A medical appointment may require a family to plan an entire day around the journey. Parents need to arrange transport, agree on time off work and organise care for their other children. If several consultations are required, these arrangements must be made repeatedly. Even when the consultation itself is state-funded, reaching it can place a considerable burden on the family.   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We believe that these practical circumstances must also be considered when planning healthcare services. A family\u2019s ability to access care depends both on the availability of a specialist and on how easily they can reach the location where that specialist sees patients. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Clear Information Helps Families To Take the Next Step<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When seeking care for a child, parents need clear answers: which specialist sees children of their child\u2019s age, whether the service is state-funded and how to book an appointment. If information is unclear or does not reflect the actual situation, families must spend additional time verifying it. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Access to healthcare therefore also depends on effective communication. A clear booking process and understandable information about what happens next help families plan their next steps. After a consultation, parents also need to understand the doctor\u2019s recommendations, any necessary examinations and where to seek further care.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Children\u2019s Health Bus: Specialist Consultations Closer to Home<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The State Audit Office\u2019s audit also highlights the work of our mobile healthcare centre. It notes that donation-funded charitable services help fill some of the gaps in state-funded care in Latvia\u2019s regions. As an example of our work, the report cites 2024, when we made 136 visits to 54 locations and provided 6,077 consultations for children. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lrvk.gov.lv\/lv\/jaunumi\/ambulatora-bernu-veselibas-aprupe-ka-prioritate-ne-atri-ne-pietiekami-ne-vienlidzigi?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State Audit Office of Latvia<\/a>   <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Through our Children\u2019s Health Bus, we help families access specialist consultations closer to home. This allows parents to ask questions, discuss concerns and have their child\u2019s health assessed, while reducing the need to arrange a long journey. These visits are made possible by our donors, partners, doctors and cooperation with local communities.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Every consultation gives a family a practical opportunity to gain a clearer understanding of their child\u2019s health. We want this opportunity to be available in places where reaching a specialist is more difficult. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Improving Access to Care Is a Shared, Long-Term Responsibility<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The State Audit Office issued six recommendations to the Ministry of Health. These include improving preventive health examinations, developing a network of services based on children\u2019s needs, strengthening the role of paediatricians and improving access to eye examinations. These priorities show that progress requires action at several stages of the healthcare system.  <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lrvk.gov.lv\/lv\/jaunumi\/ambulatora-bernu-veselibas-aprupe-ka-prioritate-ne-atri-ne-pietiekami-ne-vienlidzigi?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State Audit Office of Latvia<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We believe that charitable support should go hand in hand with the development of a sustainable healthcare system. At the same time, families need help today. That is why we continue to travel to regions across Latvia and invite the public to support our work, helping more children receive free specialist consultations closer to where they live.  <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Access to healthcare becomes meaningful when a family can obtain the help they need and understand what to do next. This is the practical support we strive to provide through our work. Together, we stand with families. <\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>We are here for families, together!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The audit report and infographics are available on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.lrvk.gov.lv\/lv\/revizijas\/revizijas\/noslegtas-revizijas\/vai-berniem-ir-nodrosinata-prioritara-un-vienlidziga-piekluve-ambulatorajiem-veselibas-aprupes-pakalpojumiem?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">State Audit Office of Latvia\u2019s website.<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Donate at: <a href=\"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/donate\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/ziedot\">bernuveselibasbusins.lv\/ziedot<\/a><\/p>\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When a child needs medical care, a family\u2019s first concern is knowing where to turn and how soon they can see a doctor. Yet reaching a specialist can involve much more than booking an appointment: repeated phone calls, arranging transport, taking time off work and school, and covering expenses that some families cannot afford. Access [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":7406,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[59],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7402","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7402","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/11"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7402"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7402\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7403,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7402\/revisions\/7403"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7406"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7402"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7402"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ronaldmcdonaldmajalatvija.lv\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7402"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}