Small Hospitals Lack Funds for Pay Raises
The long-awaited collective agreement could be signed in a week, ensuring pay raises for medical workers from March 1, but the heads of smaller hospitals doubt they have the funds to do this.
The initial agreement which stopped the medical workers' strike three weeks ago, stipulates that half of the pay raise for doctors, nurses and care workers will come from the state insurance fund. The other half will come from hospitals scrimping and saving.
“We don't have the funds for this,” Põlva hospital director Koit Jostov told Postimees. A three percent increase in hospital funding from the state insurance fund in the next year will not be enough for pay rises. According to Jostov there are two options, either not signing the collective agreement at all or that the state insurance fund will cover the missing sum.
Järvamaa hospital director Andres Müürsepp said the pay raises are possible if the general hospitals' budget increases by six percent, not three. “We can't take loans to pay salaries,” said Müürsepp.
Võru hospital's chairman of the board Arvi Vask said regional hospital budgets receive less financial support from the state than bigger hospitals in the large cities. Vask remained more positive than the other hospital heads, but said his hospital budget might come short by as much as 300,000 euros next year. He is planning to trim down emergency room services and specialist doctor services.