RIGA, April 26 (LETA) - The government on Tuesday allocated EUR 4.9 million to Latvia's regional hospitals to finance purchases of medical and auxiliary equipment. 

In accordance with the Health Ministry's plan aimed at increasing the hospitals' capacity and providing more beds for treating Covid-19 patients, slightly more than EUR 3.2 million of the approved allocation will be used to cover the costs of providing new hospital beds and upgrading the hospitals' material supplies and infrastructure from December 2021 to April 2022. 

Meanwhile, nearly EUR 1.7 million will be needed to cover the medical institutions' costs incurred because of a VAT hike on medical equipment and goods from October 1, 2021 to December 31, 2021.