Hospital in Daugavpils to discontinue financing detoxification center for intoxicated individuals
In a move aimed at finding a more cost-effective solution, the Daugavpils City Council has chosen "Medvaravīksne" Ltd as the new provider for sobering-up and detoxification services in the city. The current 24-hour service at the Daugavpils Regional Hospital, funded by the city council, is set to end due to its high cost.
For the past 15 years, the drug ward at the regional hospital has been serving intoxicated individuals. However, the hospital's management cannot offer the service cheaper than €56 per client, which includes meals, drinks, and medicine. This high cost has led to the city council's decision to stop funding the hospital-based sobering-up service.
Approximately 80% of the clients are citizens of Daugavpils, and the detoxification service at the hospital is used by 12 to 20 patients daily. The regional hospital will continue to operate its drug addiction unit, focusing on improving quality and expanding paid detoxification services for voluntary patients.
"Medvaravīksne" Ltd, based in Ogre, has been providing sobering-up services in the Pierīga Region for eight years. The tender for the service, launched for a period of three years, was the third organised by the Daugavpils municipality. The tenderer offered a lower price, potentially saving 120-130 thousand euros annually, according to Andrejs Elksniņš, Chairman of the Daugavpils City Council.
The specifics on the service configuration or improvements offered by "Medvaravīksne" Ltd were not detailed in the available information. Inta Vaivode, the head of the hospital, mentioned that they provide food, hygiene services, and medical treatment to clients.
The Daugavpils Regional Hospital did not participate in the tender to provide sobering-up services. The negotiations for the tender have been ongoing for at least 1.5 years. The hospital serves around 80% of the clients, indicating a significant impact on the local community.
It remains unclear how the service availability, hours, or location will change with "Medvaravīksne" Ltd. The city council and the new service provider are expected to provide more details in the coming weeks.
[1] Source: Daugavpils City Council press release, September 2022.
- The Daugavpils City Council has opted for "Medvaravīksne" Ltd as the new transport for sobering-up and detoxification services in the city, after deciding to stop funding the hospital-based service due to its high cost.
- "Medvaravīksne" Ltd, based in Ogre, has been offering fitness-and-exercise and health-and-wellness services across the Pierīga Region for eight years and won a three-year tender by the Daugavpils municipality for sobering-up services.
- The specific therapies-and-treatments offered by "Medvaravīksne" Ltd for sobering-up clients, as well as the service location and hours, are yet to be detailed by the city council and the new service provider.
- The Daugavpils Regional Hospital operates a drug addiction unit, focusing on improving quality and expanding paid detoxification services for voluntary patients, while no longer providing the 24-hour sobering-up service, which attracted 12 to 20 patients daily from Latgale and the surrounding regions.
