"I respect Ago Kõrgvee as a valued doctor who has contributed a lot to the field of medicine, but regarding his activity as the director of the hospital, complaints about his work began to emerge not last autumn when the hospital board changed, but already at the beginning of last year," Jevgrafov stated in his message.

"I'll give just one example. During the hospital board meeting on May 29, 2023, we discussed complaints related to Ago Kõrgvee's work, with specific examples. The then-chair of the board, Katri Raik, who also served as the mayor of Narva, however, refused to sign the meeting minutes and did not forward them to the hospital's office. Katri Raik must explain herself why she decided to remain silent about the issues related to Ago Kõrgvee's work," Jevgrafov commented.

Jevgrafov mentioned that Ago Kõrgvee's claim in a Tuesday interview with "Aktuaalne kaamera" that the audit covering last year's hospital operations did not bring up any complaints was false.

There are several points indicating deficiencies. "For instance, during the audit of labor costs, auditors found that on April 17, 2023, Ago Kõrgvee had signed an employment contract with himself. This created a situation where Ago Kõrgvee was physically present in the hospital performing board member duties while simultaneously receiving a salary as a board member and for on-call duty under the employment contract," Jevgrafov said.

Jevgrafov noted that, according to the Foundation Act, a transaction made between the foundation and a board member is null and void if it has not been approved by the board.

According to Jevgrafov, Ago Kõrgvee has made investments without the board's consent and without informing board members, significantly breaching financial discipline. "As a result of violations of the Public Procurement Act, SA Narva Hospital has already paid a fine of nearly €10,000. Currently, the State Support Services Centre is investigating another procurement violation, which could result in a fine of €57,000 for the hospital," Jevgrafov stated.

"Ago Kõrgvee exceeded his authority when he ordered the purchase of a Skoda Superb car for €45,203 with a one-time payment from hospital funds on March 11, 2022. The board had not previously approved this expenditure, nor was there budgeted money for it in the hospital's budget. Furthermore, Ago Kõrgvee ignored a valid order by making personal trips with the Skoda Superb while using SA Narva Hospital's fuel card. There is no logbook for these trips," Jevgrafov explained.

"Taking into account the aforementioned facts, the board has come to understand that Ago Kõrgvee lacks the sufficient competence and knowledge to successfully manage the hospital's work, organize large-scale procurements, and follow the orders prescribed by the board," Jevgrafov added.

Jevgrafov promised to provide a more detailed overview of the deficiencies on Thursday evening after the hospital board meeting.

"We have also reached an agreement with the new director of Narva Hospital, who is a person with a medical education and has proven himself as a manager of large projects both at the national level and in the private sector," Jevgrafov mentioned.

Ago Kõrgvee considers his dismissal more of a political decision and has denied any violations of financial discipline. According to Kõrgvee, the hospital's finances are in order. "

Jevgrafov stated that replacing Kõrgvee is not a political decision but a carefully considered step prioritizing the interests of Narva's residents and the hospital's sustainability. "The hospital management continues to support the use of the Estonian language in professional activities, and we are ready to contribute to the staff's learning of Estonian in every possible way," said Jevgrafov.

City authorities in the border town of Narva are set on Thursday to remove Ago Kõrgvee, director of Narva Hospital, from his post, ETV news show "Aktuaalne kaamera" (AK) reported Monday.

Ago Kõrgvee has headed up the Narva Hospital for almost three years and said he has attempted to transform it into a medical institution which speaks Estonian fully, in the majority Russian-speaking town, and operates along the lines of modern European concepts.

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