Editorial: do kick into gear, Mr OssinovskiThe deficit in Health Insurance Fund is shocking and shows the politicians are in a bigger hurry with systemic changes than we were guessing. Also, the state budget hole is likely to be deeper than envisioned.Opinion
Suspected in corruption, hospital CEO steps downYesterday, North Estonia Regional Hospital (PERH) head Tõnis Allik announced his resignation. The council discusses procedure for finding a replacement next week.Local News
Editorial: the simple complex stuffAlter a part of it, and any social system changes. The shrinking and ageing rural population, the urbanisation, and the related need to tweak the infrastructure does pose serious everyday issues. At times, for the decision makers these may seem so simple as to deserve no attention...Opinion
Estonia-Latvia borderlands merger makes Riigikogu splash A Tale of Two Cities, Baltic contemporary versionAt the end of March, Latvia's Valka County duma chairman Vents Krauklis decided to do an experiment in Valga Hospital. Namely, he sent his wife across state border to give birth there.Local News
Ukrainian gynaecologist to leave HiiumaaA gynaecologist from Ukraine is leaving after four months of working at Hiiumaa Hospital, not having acclimatized with the island and the islanders not acclimatizing with him. Doctors will continue to take turns and visit from mainland Estonia.Health
The state to again alter pension systemAfter every five years the state analyses if our pension system is financially and socially sustainable. Again, a fresh related report is being prepared. What's more: in its action programme, the government has promised to consider introducing flexible retirement age and faster rise of base amount of pensions – a task which the ministries have indeed been performing this past year both by meeting interest groups and analyzing Excel tables.Economy
Editorial: the critical limitOECD says patients in Estonia are nearing the critical 25 percent own payment limit in healthcare. That's where vital treatment may slip out of poor man's reach.Opinion
Slow pace of healtcare takes toll on patientsFresh OECD report says Estonian healthcare cannot keep pace with growing needs of people, as evidenced in payments percentage by patients approaching the critical limit.Health
Register grabs health data against will of peopleOn the surface, any individual may decide who used their delicate personal data and how. The reality differs starkly. As is also the case with cancer screening register: a person desiring to close down her data is helpless against a clause in a law, and the health data are used against her will.Health
Estonian health sector workers accept conciliator's pay proposalThe Estonian Medical Association, the Estonian Nurses Association and the Union of Estonian Healthcare Professionals have deemed acceptable a compromise proposal by public conciliator Henn Parn as regards the pay components of health care workers for 2015.Local News
Estonia in Ebola readinessThough not in Estonia yet, ant not necessarily here soon, West-Tallinn Central Hospital infection control specialist Pille Märtin is busy as a bee. Having to keep up with breaking news, training staff and talking to the media.Health
President Ilves at the United Nations World Conference on Indigenous PeoplesLadies and Gentlemen, It is an honour to address this high-level meeting dedicated to the rights of indigenous peoples.Local News
Editorial: rise in responsibility boosts personal healthA couple of weeks ago, Postimees published an opinion article by health expert Ain Aaviksoo on changes needed in Estonian healthcare system. One thing Mr Aaviksoo pointed out was importance of personal responsibility: health damaged through years of bad behaviour will not be fixed by a brief visit to doctor’s, or some days spent at a hospital.Opinion
On value of solidarity in healthcareHealth Insurance Fund (HIF) chief executive Tanel Ross ponders the topic raised by healthcare expert Ain Aaviksoo: is Estonian version of financing healthcare obsolete and in need of greater patient participation and responsibility? Is it right to redistribute healthy people’s money to those that are sick?Health
Editorial: live rough and let docs patch you up?The way folks view health has swerved into the treatment extreme. Let me smoke, the doctors will fix me up. Let me drink – and they will purge my blood and restore the liver. Let me stuff my body with food, and the pills and surgery will cut me down to size again.Health
German study lists Estonia’s strengths and weaknessesEstonia is the most sustainably governed post-Soviet country and ahead of several long-term democracies, shows a fresh study by Bertelsmann Foundation.Local News
Editorial: the manifold matters of medical errorsApparently, good may come from the European Union, after blunders with banana bends prescribed. The cross-border treatment directive entering into force this October necessitates general insurance for all patients and medical institutions alike. Estonia’s current lack of such system does pose and extra risk for doctors, while not hindering implementation of the directive.Opinion
Swift compensation in sight for treatment errorsWhile currently a lengthy path to prove medical treatment mistakes must be trodden by patients, in order to get complications compensations from providers of healthcare, the process will be simplified and shortened for both parties – by medical institutions liability insurance now in the pipeline. Compensations may shrink, though.Local News
Health certificates valid while drivers severely illAs often noticed by rehabilitation doctor Maarika Nurm, peeking out her window: patients freshly recovered from a stroke or trauma, only initially recovered, hop behind the wheel – even when warned by her to wait with driving due to health risks.Local News
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