After a people’s vote, in this year Latvian health sector’s most important event the Annual Awards in Medicine, the title of 2022 Family Doctor of the Year and a special award from AS Olainfarm were awarded to a family doctor from Ogre – Dace Roska. She admits that amidst the difficulty of work, there is also a great deal of satisfaction.

“My biggest thank you and very best words are reserved for Doctor Anita Selezņeva, under whose tutelage I did my residency, and who was my teacher with a capital T, as well as being my second mum. For as long as I can remember myself, all my dolls received medical treatment – this used to be in the form of penicillin from a bottle. All the kids who’ve been ill, remember being injected with penicillin four times a day, resulting in a big collection of bottle. The dolls received them all. I always knew I wanted to be a doctor. I always try to ask my patients something over and beyond their ailments. If I’m told a story about a cat, next time I’ll ask how the cat is doing. Young women come to me, who firstly tell their family doctor, not their mum, that they are pregnant, and ask me what they should do about the pregnancy. Amidst the difficulty of work, there is also a great deal of satisfaction.”

The Latvian health sector’s most important event the Annual Awards in Medicine, held in collaboration with AS Olainfarm, took place for the 13th time.

Emphasising the importance of family doctors within Latvia’s healthcare system, and congratulating the public’s best loved family doctor in 2022, AS Olainfarm Board Member Andris Jegorovs said, “In recent years, the healthcare system has experienced enormous challenges, many of which have rested on the shoulders of family doctors. Our family doctor is the first person we visit if we have any health complaints. For each of us, this is an important relationship that lasts for years. I call on the public of appreciate the work done by family doctors every day, and to say thank you.”

According to patients, Dace Roska does 100 times more than she’s officially required to, putting herself on the line. She is a doctor with a big and generous heart. You can find out more about D. Roska in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiMT7mQ6ies