Krumiņa emphasized that myasthenia patients cannot live without medicines, therefore the unavailability of daily medicines due to costs is a real threat to their health and life. Without medicine, a crisis occurs, they end up in hospital and intensive care, even a fatal outcome is possible.
“By paying for the medicine in full, the state would say that it cares about the lives of 250 of its citizens, unfortunately until now the state institutions have shown complete indifference. Therefore, we have no other options, and we turn to our fellow human beings and hope for their understanding and support that every person is important to Latvia, so that he can live, work, build relationships and family, be an active member of society,” said Krūmiņa.
According to the data of the National Health Service, the amount that is additionally required from the state budget for myasthenia medicine compensation is 13,000 euros per year. The association is disappointed that the Ministry of Health (MOH) does not plan to include this “huge” amount in next year’s budget.
Currently, the cost of myasthenia drugs and additional necessary medications for a patient can reach up to 600 euros per month. Taking into account the general low level of well-being of Latvian society and the ever-increasing costs in all areas of life, this is a serious obstacle to receiving vital therapy.
Myasthenia gravis is a rare, chronic, autoimmune neuromuscular disease characterized by weakness of various muscle groups. The disease significantly reduces the patients’ quality of life, in severe cases the weakness also affects the respiratory muscles, and the patient is actually unable to breathe on his own – death occurs without hospitalization and intensive therapy. Its prevalence in Latvia is 12 cases per 100,000 inhabitants, but myasthenia often remains an undiagnosed disease, so its prevalence could be higher, according to the “miastenija.lv” website.
Read more about this disease, its diagnosis and treatment here.
