New NIB-financed hospital block opens in eastern Latvia

A new 4,000 square metre block of a regional hospital has been inaugurated in Ludza, 270 kilometres east of Latvia’s capital Riga.

The Ludza hospital was one of four local medical institutions in Latvia that in 2006 received NIB loans earmarked for modernisation and the purchase of new medical equipment. The loan to Ludza totalled EUR 5.7 million.

The Ludza hospital’s new block houses the facilities of admission, surgery, maternity ward and intensive care. It has also added 55 new patient beds to the previous 85.

“It is a pleasure to be involved in projects with such a beneficial result as the new block of the Ludza hospital. The social infrastructure projects that NIB finances in the Baltic countries contribute to the competitiveness of their economies,” said Lauri Johnson, Senior Manager at NIB, at the inauguration ceremony in Ludza.

The Ludza hospital, founded in 1838, services an area with a population of 33,000. The hospital employs a 273-strong staff, including doctors, nurses and other personnel.