Over 2,000 people wait for specialized care in Estonia
Estonia's Social Insurance Board calls the specialized care situation critical, with just over 2,000 people on the waiting list and the figure barely changing for months. The draft state budget does not include the funding the Ministry of Social Affairs requested.
As of early October, just over 2,000 people in Estonia are waiting for specialized care services, and the figure has stayed at roughly the same level for months. Lagle Kalberg, head of the specialized care and rehabilitation unit at the Social Insurance Board (SKA), told ERR that the situation in the sector is critical.
According to her, about 700 people, or roughly a third of those waiting, are ready to begin receiving services immediately if a suitable place is offered. The board cannot help them in some cases, for example because there is no vacancy near the applicant's home or because funding is lacking.
In October, 2,049 people are on the waiting list, while applications have been filed for more than 2,200 service places. The gap exists because one person can use up to three services at once. Compared with the start of the year, the list is about 200 people shorter while the number of places has barely changed, suggesting more people have been referred to services. The change may also be linked to revised working procedures in the spring, when staff actively contacted people on the list. Some leave the list after such contact. In early October, 54 places were vacant, and the board is waiting for those offered them to respond within 10 days.
Court ruling and the budget
In April, the Supreme Court ruled that the state must provide a place in a specialized care home to anyone who needs one, and that it may not budget less than is required to meet its statutory obligations. Tight state finances do not justify leaving people without help.
During budget talks, the Ministry of Social Affairs sought an additional €200 million over four years to create new places and raise staff pay. The draft budget submitted to the Riigikogu last week does not include this. The government decided to add up to €37 million over four years, and that sum is meant for the entire social affairs and health sector, not only specialized care.
Maarja Krais-Leosk, head of the Estonian Chamber of Disabled People, said the amount was not what had been hoped for, but that up to €37 million is still welcome. In mid-September, service providers held a protest outside the Riigikogu over the sector's worsening underfunding.
