This practice is applied in Mažeikiai Hospital. However, due to the competition with the nearby Telšiai hospital, this does not help to achieve the desired results. Therefore, according to the current Government resolution, maternity services provided in the obstetrics-gynecology department of Mažeikiai Hospital will no longer be financed by PSDF funds from New Years, says Aranta Būtautaitė-Garalienė, who is temporarily acting as the head of Mažeikiai Hospital.
“In 2022, the Government decree was issued, (…) that if there are two institutions less than 50 kilometers apart, the one that has at least 300 or more births than the other institution receives paid services from the PSDF. We are the only ones in Lithuania – Mažeikis and Telšias – in such a situation – it doesn’t matter if we reach those 300 (newborns – ELTA), if they have more newborns, they will take over the right to carry out births,” A. Būtautaitė-Garalienė told Elta.
The temporary head of the hospital hopes that the newly formed government will change the current procedure in the fall. However, if this does not happen, the Mažeikiai district municipality would consider subsidizing maternity services at the Mažeikiai hospital from its own budget from 2025, notes A. Būtautaitė-Garalienė.
“It is very difficult to change the government’s decisions. In any case, it makes sense to continue the department’s activities and see how things go here as the year progresses. (…) The mayor’s point of view is that if the new Government does not change this resolution, in that case the municipality will offer to subsidize maternity services from its own budget, so that they will still remain in Mažeikiai”, said A. Būtautaitė-Garalienė.
According to the manager of the hospital, according to the municipality’s calculations, if the council approves such a proposal, maintaining the maternity unit would cost the district about 300,000. euros per year.
The representatives of the hospital also note that currently the main measure applied by the Mažeikiai district municipality after the birth of a child is a one-time payment of 200 euros for the family, which the mayor of the district plans to increase.
“The mayor of the district informed about the plans to increase the one-time payment,” the hospital’s comment to Elta states.
Merė R. Matulaitienė: there can be no talk of closing the obstetrics-gynecology department
Mažeikiai district mayor Rūta Matulaitienė assures that if the procedure established by the government does not change this year, she will propose to the district council to consider the possibility of financing the operation of the obstetrics-gynecology department next year with municipal funds.
“We are preparing the necessary documents and will apply (to the Government – ELTA) on this issue. Judging by the population, Mažeikiai district has more inhabitants than Telšiai, but Telšiai seems to have prepared more for the amendment of this law, for attracting mothers”, R. Matulaitienė says in a video posted on the municipality’s social network.
“There can be no question of closing the department. If necessary, the municipality will be ready to allocate money from the state budget (…) If necessary, I will talk to the council members and I don’t think there will be any objections to this service remaining in Mažeikiai”, the politician added.
Mothers-to-be were attracted by updated equipment and additional services
At that time, the Jonava hospital, which started offering lump sums, additional services and updated equipment to mothers in labor from 2022, managed to increase the number of newborns admitted to the institution every year in recent years.
As hospital representatives announce, the municipal council, promoting births in Jonava, as early as 2022. in the spring, made a decision to give birth mothers a one-time payment of 176 euros, regardless of where the parents of the newborn have declared their place of residence.
“In 2024 in the first half of the year, 234 newborns were born in the hospital, in 2023 in the first half of the year, 240 newborns were born – so the number of births remains the same and almost does not change, although the number of births in Lithuania is decreasing – in 2023 compared to 2022 Births in Lithuania decreased by 6.55 percent. while in Jonava hospital, compared to 2024. and 2023 only 2.5 percent” – hospital manager Gediminas Ramanauskas shares the institution’s results in a written comment to Elta.
“An obvious difference can be seen when comparing 2023. and 2022 – when the total number of births decreased, the number of births in the Jonava hospital increased from 418 births to 480 births, and these numbers are higher than in the municipalities of Utena, Marijampolė and Alytus”, notes G. Ramanauskas, adding that the institution’s goal is to achieve 500-600 births per year.
In order to attract mothers in labor, Jonavas Hospital operates a Maternity School, renovated wards with special functional beds, new furniture and air conditioners, emphasizes G. Ramanauskas. In addition, mothers-to-be are offered to participate in aromatherapy sessions, as well as use color therapy, when you can give birth in a space lit with different colors, notes the head of the institution.
According to the data of the Ministry of Health (SAM), a total of 8,991 newborns were born in Lithuania in the first half of this year. Most of them – 1,405 – were accepted by the Vilnius University Hospital (VUL) Santaras Clinic. At least – 134 – Mažeikiai Regional Hospital. Similarly, this year, Utena and Marijampolė hospitals received 137 and 139 newborns, respectively, and 181 in Telšiai.
2024-08-13 12:14:47