Disability rights advocate Gunta Anča appeals for donations to fund her therapy
Latvian disability rights advocate Gunta Anča has appealed to the public for donations to cover her therapy, since the state does not compensate the necessary treatment. She admits asking for help is difficult, but life has forced her to do so.
Latvia continues to see frequent public appeals for donations to help fund treatment for people whose necessary medications or therapy are not covered by the state healthcare system. Such cases repeatedly expose gaps in the country's compensation policy, particularly where treatment is expensive or rare, leaving patients to bear the financial burden alone.
The latest such appeal comes from a well-known figure: disability rights advocate Gunta Anča. She has revealed that the therapy she needs is not covered under the state compensation system, meaning she must rely on public support to continue receiving it.
A difficult request
Anča acknowledges that asking others to donate money for her own treatment is emotionally difficult. Still, she says life circumstances have pushed her toward this path, as there is currently no other way to cover the cost of her therapy.
Her case draws renewed attention to a broader issue in Latvia: people with serious health conditions or disabilities are often forced to depend on public goodwill to access treatment that the state does not fund. Public donation appeals are frequently used precisely because the required sums would otherwise be out of reach for patients.
The case adds to a growing list of similar stories in which Latvian residents turn to the public for help after the state compensation system fails to cover the full cost of necessary treatment.
