East Hospital listed among 44 world-class healthcare institutions that have initiated the interventional oncological radiation accreditation process

The Department of Interventional Radiology of the Radiology Centre at Riga East University Hospital (East Hospital) has joined the Interventional Oncology Accreditation System for Interventional Oncology Services (IASIOS). East Hospital is the first healthcare institution in Latvia to initiate the quality standardisation process in interventional oncological radiology, demonstrating its commitment to providing top-quality care for oncological patients in interventional radiology.

Since March this year, the Department of Interventional Radiology at East Hospital has been included among 44 world-class healthcare institutions that have initiated the accreditation process. IASIOS is the only programme worldwide that certifies healthcare institutions providing interventional oncology services. Through participation in the accreditation programme, East Hospital has joined the international community of healthcare institutions that are committed to the highest quality standards in interventional oncological radiology.

Head of the Radiology Centre, Aina Kratovska, points out: “We are truly proud to be the first healthcare institution in Latvia to initiate the quality standardisation process in interventional oncological radiology, demonstrating our commitment to providing top-quality care for our patients. Since March this year, the Department of Interventional Radiology of the Radiology Centre at East Hospital has been included among 44 world-class healthcare institutions that have initiated the accreditation process and we hope to successfully complete it by the end of 2026, thereby demonstrating the quality of interventional oncological radiology services provided at East Hospital and their compliance with international standards.”

The initiation of the accreditation process required not only the submission of various documents but also a self-assessment which showed 86% compliance with the requirements, thereby demonstrating the high level of compliance of the Radiology Centre with international standards and its readiness for successful accreditation. The self-assessment covered both clinical processes and various aspects of patient safety, quality management, and team management, providing a comprehensive assessment of the Centre’s performance.

In interventional oncological radiology, tumours are treated using image-guided minimally invasive procedures to precisely target the tumour. Treatment is performed through small skin punctures rather than major surgery, using imaging techniques such as CT, ultrasound or MRI. In interventional oncological radiology, treatment includes the destruction of tumour cells using heat or extreme cold (tumour ablation), targeted drug delivery to the tumour or its blood supply, and blocking of blood vessels supplying a tumor (embolization). This approach enables precise action directly on the tumour while preserving healthy tissue, reducing the risk of complications, shortening recovery time, and often avoiding major surgery. Interventional oncological radiology is a modern, effective, and patient-friendly approach to cancer treatment that is increasingly used worldwide.

The IASIOS accreditation process was also facilitated by the participation of the Radiology Centre of East Hospital in the pilot project titled ‘High-precision robotic percutaneous thermal ablation laboratory for inoperable malignant tumors’ implemented under the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility Plan’s reform 4.3.1.r ‘Sustainability of healthcare, strengthening governance, efficient use of health resources, increase of the total public budget in the health sector’ as part of the National Health Service’s open pilot project selection for the ‘Healthcare Service Model Development Laboratory’.

The Radiology Centre at East Hospital is one of the largest diagnostic and interventional radiology centres in the Baltic region. It now houses a unique procedure/operation room designed for the performance of complex CT-guided procedures. The new laser-navigation CT system is specifically adapted for the highly specialised care and examination of cancer patients. The equipment enables highly precise, minimally invasive percutaneous procedures, such as biopsy, drainage, and ablation, with millimetre-level accuracy, thereby significantly reducing the need for open surgery. Its protocols allow for up to four times lower radiation doses during diagnostics and procedures, which is of critical importance in cancer patient care. The software of equipment is also unique within the Baltic States and specifically adapted for percutaneous tumour ablation, in other words, the destruction of tumours. Specialists at the Radiology Centre of East Hospital are the first in Latvia to successfully carry out cryoablation and microwave ablation procedures to treat patients with kidney and liver tumours.

About the East Hospital 

Riga East University Hospital is the largest and strategically significant multi-profile hospital in the country. The hospital consists of five inpatient facilities – Gaiļezers, Latvian Oncology Centre, Biķernieki, Tuberculosis and Lung Disease Centre, and Latvian Infectious Diseases Centre, along with various specialised centres and clinics. The hospital provides highly specialised inpatient and secondary outpatient healthcare, offering multidisciplinary tertiary-level treatment and care in line with modern technology and medical knowledge. Approximately 80% of all cancer patients in Latvia are treated at the hospital. It serves as a practical training base for both Latvian educational institutions and foreign students, providing further education and knowledge transfer to healthcare specialists within and beyond the country. The hospital engages in scientific research and develops innovative methods for patient treatment. As the third-largest employer in the country, the hospital employs around 5000 staff members.