Rīga Rīdzene Rotary club initiative “Let’s Support the Physicians – Doctors and Nurses – Fighting COVID!” is developing in 2021, despite the lockdown

Medics at Balvi hospital with the donation of Rotaryans – radios for patients and nurses

Riga Ridzene Rotary is  active in several directions as concerns service to  local communities despite the pandemic.  Riga Ridzene Rotary club proposed the initiative to support   the medical service.

In February Rīga Ridzene Rotary club  got financial suport from our friends LINKOPINGS ROTARY CLUB. Club members donated 901.64 EUR. Thank you very much, dear friends!

What  has been  done during the last month? Lockdown restricts activities, but, despite of it, Rotarytarians   do whatever  they can.

So Riga Ridzene Rotary club  – as the central club of the Project – donated 380, –  EUR to support the initiative of Valmiera Rotary club who  provide medics at the Covid departaments of the local hospital  with fresh snacks on everyday bases.

Different other problems emerge. Thus, it came out that  the oppressive silence in the wards, influences   both  – the patient’s and the physicians.  It  is not conducive to recovery at all. Balvi executive director Lana Upīte approached our club,  and  – as a result of it  – Rotaryans provided the hospital with 19 radios: 17 in the wards and two for nurse positions where they are  on duty. Thus  patients, whose situation is improving , can listen to both music and news.  M.Solima , the initiator of the project,   was told by L.Upīte that,   when the music sounded in the wards, the joy and surprise was so genuine that one of the patients, who recovered from Covid,  even complained: “How unfortunate that just now  I have to go home”. Greatest thanks to  doctors, who can see the patients’ feelings behind the goggles and spacesuits!

The purchase of radios has been made from the donation fund “Support for doctors on the Covid front”, EUR 272.04  has been issued.

 One problem is that the hospital personnel working at the canteen  of hospitals, have fallen ill with Covid. Therefore doctors  and nurses ( working 12 hours one shift, but sometimes even more ) lack warm lunches and dinners.  The initiative was that the problem has been solved in Riga by other charity organizations.But not so often in periphery towns and hospitals fighting Covid. Riga Ridzene Rotary club initiated Rotary club  network around the country.

Now, how we have done using  the donated money  up to now.?

The Christmas tree, which we all donated together, shone as a warm greeting to the doctors at the Covid department of Balvi Hospital! The decorations came from the members of the Rotary club Rīdzene and Linda Mūrniece Freiberga. We were supported by Ramirent Riga office free to lift the tree. More sweets for doctors and nurses ( marshmallow cakes, pasta, cookies!) were donated. The tree was decorated by the children of the Balvi Youth Center.

Rezekne physicians, who are directly related to Covid patients, was provided with a three-course Christmas lunch on Christmas Eve, the First and Second Christmas. There are about 30 of them in each shift, 90 doctors in three shifts. The delivery was made by the company “Black Pearl” chosen by the hospital activists, which maintains a cafe in Rēzekne. Money to cover the expenses were sent – according to the invoice – 495,-Eur. The contact person from the hospital board is Ivars Zvīdris, who is also a member of the Jēkabpils Rotary Club.

Riga Ridzene Rotary club has transferred € 730 to the Jelgava Rotary Club, which will organize and coordinate the care for 76 doctors in the Jelgava Emergency Department, the Social Care Center and four departments of the Jelgava Hospital. Contact person – President of Jelgava Rotary Club Viesturs Reinfelds.

Gvido Liepiņš, President of Jēkabpils Rotary Club, who was the head of Jēkabpils Hospital a few years ago, found out with his former colleagues the best way to please the doctors working in the three departments affected by Covid – three capsule coffee machines with a small “start” kit – 30 capsules of black coffee plus for 30 servings of cappuccino in each division. The Rotarians of Jēkabpils will add gingerbread, some sweets, maybe disposable coffee cups and something else. The money of 257,- € were transferred according to the invoice for coffee-machines, coffee and capsules.

In Ventspils, the president of the club Raimonds Lācis reacted very quickly and in communication with the head of the hospital, his surname Juris Lācis, talked to local caterers. They will enrich our donation of 350,-Eur and coordinate the process.

Riga Rīdzene Rotary club contacted Liepāja hospital and the cafe “Romas dārzs” in Liepaja. The proposal was to cooperate to support physicians at Liepāja hospital during Christmas. Small donation of Riga Ridzene rotary (90,- eur) initiated caterers to provide medical workers with Christmas lunch.

The pandemic becomes worse  at the moment  therefore  our support to doctors and nurses – all the hospital staff  will be necessary during the next months too. 

We still invite you to read about the initiative “Let us support the physicians – doctors and nurses – who fight Covid” and support it. We can do a lot together!

Donation money account number:

LV39RIKO0000084390082

Latvian branch of Luminor Bank

AS Beneficiary – Riga Rīdzene Rotary Club

Reg. No. 40008012629

Purpose – Donation to the campaign ” Support for Physicians on the COVID Front Line”

Let’s support the medical physicians – doctors and nurses,  fighting  COVID!

 There are people who, unnoticed, currently guard us. Our physicians – doctors, nurses, sanitary wards in 9 hospitals in Daugavpils, Liepāja, Ventspils, Rēzekne, Jelgava, Valmiera, Jēkabpils  and  3 in  Riga –  Tuberculosis hospital, Stradiņi and Austrumu hospitals. They work 24 hours a day, closed mode, dressed in overalls, masks, without replacement and tired. Endangered as during the war in the front line.

We cannot grant these heroes with  the state bonuses, but we can express our respect and gratitude to them  delivering  warm food daily or during their  stay at home!

It has been done by the  movement “Table for Our  People” since the spring wave of the  Covid. Every day  about  300 dinners for hospitals and  emergency assistance in Riga and a little – in  Jelgava  has been provided. It is possible thanks to private and corporative donations. Money comes in for restaurants and canteens that have responded to the invitation –  food is prepared and delivered to hospitals in Riga.

 But – there is not  money enough to support rural hospital doctors. Riga Rīdzene Rotary club  invites Rotarians all over Latvia, charity organizations and  each of us and our friends to support the initiative.   These are hard  times for our Fatherland and  people must come to help!

Let’s address friends, businessmen, neighbors to donate as much as everyone can, let’s address the caterers, bread bakers, meat processing plants and farmers in Liepaja and Daugavpils, Jelgava, In Ventspils, Rēzekne and Valmiera –  each for their own local  county hospital, but all together – for Latvia. Riga Rīdzene Rotary club  is ready to organize the coordination of contacts between donators,  caterers and regional county hospitals.

 Phone numbers  volunteers  can use to  reach:  President of the Club  – Modris Resčevskis +371 29257744, Mairita Solima 29175000, Jānis Freibergs 29240120

Donation money account number:

 LV39RIKO0000084390082

Latvian branch of Luminor Bank

 AS Beneficiary – Riga Rīdzene Rotary Club

Reg. No. 40008012629

Purpose – Donation to the campaign ” Support for Physicians on the COVID Front Line”

 Coordinating joint projects with Rotaract for providing assistance for families in need in Latvia. Project leader from the side ofRiga Ridzene Rotary – Rudolfs Bremanis

@ Support  of the historical building of  Riga  Latvian Society 

Every year charity money is collected during the Latvia state Anniversary  Rotary Charity Ball  November 17 in the Riga Latvian Society building.  Riga Ridzene Rotary club initiated the  event, but majority of clubs participate. Collected financial means are spent to reconstruct the building.

@ Support of children from large families and in need of palliative care 

Every year an  Open  Riga Ridzene  Tennis Charity Tournament is organised ( end of June) as well as charity concerts  to raise the financial means for the children from large families. The financial means ar collected with the help of charity auctions  (February 13) too.. The money is spent to organize   summer camps for  the children who needs   palliative care.

@support of Latvia primary schools in  different reģions of Latvia

@ support of the activities of other clubs in Latvia.

Every year  in December members of the  club participate in Santa Run charity event organized by Riga International club, donates financial means for the projects of other clubs

@In order to save lives and  to  promote  donor movement in Latvia,  Latvian “Rotary” club members will  participate in   “Rotary Donor Week” April  18 to 22, 2016

The  symbolic opening event  is held at the Freedom Monument  participants  t donate blood in the State Blood Donor Center (SBDC)  specialized bus