RIGA, Jan 15 (LETA) - The Welfare Ministry and local governments' foot dragging poses threat to lives of nursing homes' residents, Ombudsman Juris Jansons said while commenting on the spread of Covid-19 in nursing homes.

Jansons has been following the situation at nursing homes since the state of emergency was announced in Latvia, as the Ombudsman Office's representative Liena Eisaka told LETA.

The ombudsman believes that nursing home residents and employees' rights to health and life are in jeopardy as a result of inefficient cooperation between the Welfare Ministry and local governments.

"It is no secret that dozens of people died at nursing homes after the second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic began, which proves that an efficient social protection policy has not been developed in Latvia," Jansons said in a statement.

The Welfare Ministry must supervise social services' quality, but local governments are also responsible for the conditions found in nursing homes in the respective municipalities. Local governments must promptly take action and find solutions when they can no longer keep the situation under control. On the other hand, it is a duty of the state to immediately intervene in such situations and help local governments find the best solution.

Jansons believes that the Welfare Ministry has not been doing enough to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks and deaths at nursing homes. At the same time, Jansons concluded that nursing homes have failed to timely seek support and they even deny proper care to nursing homes' residents, which has led to outbreaks and deaths of many nursing home residents.

On January 14, Jansons sent a letter to Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins (New Unity), urging the premier to address the problems at the Welfare Ministry. Jansons is also calling on the Latvian Local and Regional Governments' Association to regularly collate and submit to the government information on difficulties encountered by local governments in organizing nursing homes' operations.