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Expanded Radiology Centre with a unique operating room for CT-guided procedures opened at the East Hospital
In an effort to improve access to high-quality healthcare services, the Riga East Clinical University Hospital (East Hospital) has opened Latvia’s largest Radiology Centre, which has been expanded and modernised. It now includes a unique procedure room in the Baltics, designed and adapted for complex minimally invasive percutaneous procedures using the latest generation CT system with laser navigation. The project has allowed the East Hospital to offer dedicated diagnostic equipment for both inpatients and outpatients, and to provide adequate facilities for Radiology Centre staff, with further expansion planned alongside the future Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases building.
The expanded facilities at the Radiology Centre are equipped with the latest medical technology, including modern devices, high-resolution monitors, workstations, and ergonomically designed comfortable chairs and furniture for both patients and staff. Equipment of the latest generation worth over EUR 1.5 million has been acquired as part of the project, including a CT-guided minimally invasive procedure system and a high-end intraoperative ultrasound device.
“It is with great satisfaction that I can say – East Hospital is once again taking a major step toward becoming a Hospital of the Future. The new Radiology Centre is set to become a key location for diagnostics and treatment not only in Latvia but across the Baltic region. Modern medical care cannot exist without a modern environment. This Centre marks a significant milestone in the development of our healthcare infrastructure. The government’s support for such projects is more than just investing in buildings – it is an investment in people and in our future. Today, we celebrate not only the opening of a modern medical facility and an improved working environment for medical professionals and patients – we also celebrate hope: hope for faster, more accurate diagnostics, more timely and effective treatments, and a better quality of life. After all, one of the pillars of effective treatment is early and accurate diagnosis. Everything that has been built here – from advanced procedure rooms to ergonomic workstations – has been created for one purpose: to serve people,” emphasized the Minister for Health, Houssam Abou Merhi, at the opening ceremony of the East Hospital’s Radiology Centre, highlighting the prioritisation of quality and patient needs.
East Hospital is currently advancing several important infrastructure projects at once, and modernisation of the Radiology Centre is one of the most visible testaments to this progress. “We are committed to building a Hospital of the Future, where technology, environment, and human expertise combine to deliver modern care for the benefit of patients, healthcare professionals, and the entire system. Every step we take shows our determination to move forward despite challenges in the sector and external conditions. I sincerely thank our colleagues, partners, and everyone who brings these projects to life with professionalism, dedication, and belief in our shared goal,” says Normunds Staņēvičs, Chairman of the Board at the East Hospital.
The East Hospital’s Radiology Centre has become one of the largest diagnostic and interventional radiology centres in the Baltic region. It now houses a unique procedure 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 East Hospital’s Radiology Centre are the first in Latvia to successfully carry out cryoablation and microwave ablation procedures to treat patients with kidney and liver tumours.
“The CT system is intended for complex, minimally invasive procedures, mostly for cancer patients. Even in cases where a tumour is located in the mediastinum near major blood vessels or in the retroperitoneal area, where biopsies used to require open or laparoscopic surgery, it is now possible for many patients to undergo the procedure under CT-guided navigation,” explains Aina Kratovska, Head of the Radiology Centre.
Another innovative solution is a separate room specifically for anaesthesiologists next to the CT-guided procedure room. It is a space tailored to support the anaesthesia team’s work during CT fluoroscopy while keeping them protected from radiation. From there, they can monitor the patient’s vital signs safely from a radiation-shielded area, improving both safety and comfort during procedures.
The modern equipment in the procedure room will also allow the East Hospital to fulfil its function as a university hospital in education and research more effectively, as the procedures performed in the room can be broadcast for teaching purposes to students and participants in continuing education seminars.
With the expansion and modernisation of the East Hospital’s Radiology Centre, potential risks associated with a unified patient flow (from the perspective of infection control) have been eliminated. Inpatient and outpatient flows are now separated: there are distinct waiting areas for patients, and outpatients and inpatients have separate access to diagnostic equipment. Moreover, specific diagnostic equipment can now be designated exclusively for either inpatient or outpatient use. In line with the East Hospital’s infrastructure development plan which includes the construction of a new Pulmonary and Infectious Diseases building at Hipokrāta iela in Riga, aimed at centralising the treatment of these conditions, the next phase, subject to available funding, envisages the further expansion of the Radiology Centre.
The East Hospital’s Radiology Centre is located in the Gaiļezers inpatient facility. The first stage of its development (design, construction work, author supervision, and construction supervision) was implemented within the framework of the ERDF project No. 9.3.2.0/21/I/001 “Development of Infrastructure of the Building of SIA Rīgas Austrumu klīniskā universitātes slimnīca [Riga East Clinical University Hospital] at Hipokrāta iela 4”. The total cost of the works amounts to EUR 4 010 392.65, including VAT, of which EUR 1 453 357.29 is covered by ERDF funding and EUR 256 505.36 is provided by the state budget.
About the East Hospital
Riga East Clinical 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.
