South Estonia’s hospitals lure Russian and Latvian patients

Photo: Mirjam Nutov

According to new hospital network development plan, county centres will keep emergency specialised medical care. There is no hurry, however, to wind down current 24/7 medical care with four standby specialised doctors providing delivery assistance.

Social minister Taavi Rõivas confirmed that delivery departments will not be forcefully closed, as long as hospitals are able to maintain them. «Money-wise, these would be such miniscule savings that there is no need to force it,» the minister said, related to the emotionally loaded topic. «Life has taught us that a hospital usually winds down its delivery department only when a half of the county’s women go to deliver their babies elsewhere, already.» Delivery departments have been closed down in Haapsalu, Jõgeva and Rapla, in other counties they keep on functioning.

South Estonia’s hospitals, especially the one in Põlva, only 25 kilometres from Võru and under 50 km from Tartu, have in spite of decreasing numbers of local births successfully maintained their delivery departments. That is thanks to women from Pskov oblast, Russia, coming to give birth in Põlva. According to Põlva hospital board, last year’s 320 births in their department included 70 by women from Russia.

Võru hospital has also started to lure paid patients from Russia. «This year, we have already had five women from Pskov giving birth here,» said head of Võru hospital Arvi Vask. «Võru is 83 kilometres from Pskov, 10 less than Põlva. Due to Mr Putin’s visit, Pskov highway was fixed last year, on the Russian side. And thanks to our Police and Border Guard Board, gasoline smugglers have disappeared from the border, making Russia-Estonia travel easier – takes an hour and a half from Pskov to Võru.»

A Russian family, coming over to give birth in Estonia and spending a whole week here until the child’s documents are fixed, leaves €1,000 at the hospital only. «In the hospitals of Pskov, they are not offered private service like we do here,» says Mr Vask, who has often been across the border to spy out the situation.

And, from Võru, advertisement brochures have also travelled to Russia to offer other kinds of treatment as well.

The Valga hospital looks towards Latvia – Valka having no hospital at all. The Latvians’ coming will be further facilitated starting next year, as European cross border treatment market opens up.