Hospitals in Estonia’s Ida-Viru County to jointly seek new doctors — ERR News
Hospitals in Estonia’s Ida-Viru County are launching a joint campaign to attract doctors to the region, where medical institutions lack around 100 specialists. The county’s largest hospital, Ida-Viru Central Hospital in Kohtla-Järve, is ready to immediately hire up to 30 doctors, ERR News reports.
Focus on medical students
Ida-Viru Central Hospital plans to attract medical students while they are still studying. The hospital expects that practical training in the region may encourage graduates to consider working in Ida-Viru County after completing their studies.
The state offers doctors who take jobs at hospitals outside Estonia’s main population centers relocation assistance of up to €30,000. At the same time, Narva Hospital board member Üllar Lanno noted that even high salary offers do not always persuade specialists to move to the region.
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Staff shortages across the country
According to Lanno, the shortage of doctors is a problem across Estonia, and competition for new specialists remains high. He believes that to overcome the shortage, the state should increase admissions to medical educational institutions by 30%. Lanno also said that 33% of those studying in residency do not complete it.
Neeme Somma, head of the anesthesiology and intensive care department at Ida-Viru Central Hospital, emphasized the experience medical professionals gain during 24-hour shifts in emergency and intensive care departments. Hospitals in the region also cover staff shortages through temporary appointments: more than one-third of specialist doctors working in Ida-Viru County also work in other parts of Estonia.
