In order to ensure a sufficient number of health care professionals, the Ministry of Health Protection (SAM) takes measures to attract and retain them in the workplace. Priority is given to the financing of studies and scholarships and the improvement of working conditions, as well as the return of professionals who have left the country or the healthcare sector. Projects for the empowerment, attraction and retention of health care specialists will be announced and implemented this year, for which by 2029 more than 30 million is provided. euros.
According to the Deputy Minister of Health Aurim Pečkauskas, many countries are facing a shortage of human resources today, and every country, including Lithuania, must already take measures to ensure the necessary number of health care specialists.
“First of all, we need to encourage young people to choose health-related studies and increase the number of state-funded places for those specialties with the greatest projected shortage. We also need to create a mechanism that would help to bring back specialists who already have qualifications, but for some reason left the health system or left Lithuania. By continuing the dialogue with the medical trade unions, we will continue to consistently improve the working conditions of doctors and increase their wages”, says A. Pečkauskas.
The Vice-Minister points out that the career opportunities of one of the most sought-after specialties – nurses, are expanding, and the demand for this profession will remain high in the future.
“That’s why I encourage young people who already start thinking about their future profession in school to think about this opportunity. The prestige of the nursing profession grows as the nurse acquires more competencies and becomes more and more valued. Also, working conditions are improving, wages are increasing, medical institutions are taking modern management decisions to attract employees”, says the vice-minister.
The projects financed by the European Union and the state budget, which municipalities will be invited to implement this year, include the financing of study fees and scholarships, supplements to the salary of resident doctors, qualification improvement and other activities. For projects of empowerment, attraction and retention of health care professionals until 2029. a little more than 30 million is provided in total. euros.
Government Strategic Analysis Center (STRATA) 2023 updated research predicts that in 2032 Lithuania will lack 4,643 general practice nurses, 2,355 nursing assistants, 1,328 advanced practice nurses, 543 dental assistants, 269 family doctors, 207 internal medicine doctors, 146 pediatric doctors, 134 emergency medicine doctors.
After analyzing the current situation and the provided forecasts, the Ministry of Health has prepared a 2024-2029 action plan for attracting and retaining health care professionals, which will help reduce the uneven distribution of health care professionals on a national scale and reduce the shortage of health care professionals with certain professional qualifications and specializations.
SAM inform.
