The idea to open a private trauma and orthopaedics clinic that is based on such values like honesty and respect in the patient-doctor relationships belonged to then young and aspiring doctors, now our colleagues Andrejs Peredistijs, Vitolds Jurkevičs and Jānis Viļums. Having had their internships at the world’s leading clinics, they took note of the quality of patient care there can be and what are the key principles for that to be implemented. So, having faith they could accomplish the same level of care in Latvia, these doctors left the state healthcare system and started their private medical practices, which eventually merged in one now known as ORTO Klīnika.
When it all started, in 2008, ORTO Klīnika was renting small reception area, operating room and few hospital wards. In a couple of years, it become clear that the number of patients choosing ORTO Klīnika was growing so fast that, even scheduling the surgeries till the late night, the doctors could not help all the clients without putting them on a long waiting list. That’s when the team knew they need more space.
Along with this team of doctors, Valdis Andersons, one of the founders of arthroscopy in Latvia, also decided to leave the state healthcare system and start running his own trauma and orthopaedics medical practice. Having come together, four of them were discussing the further path of developing a privately-owned high-quality medical care and they came to a conclusion that they need to build their own clinic that would have outpatient department, operating rooms and physical therapy department. However, in 2010-2011 Latvian entrepreneurs, one after another, were listening to these doctors reluctantly and were sceptical about such project ever being possible in Latvia. Nobody was ready to lend money to these four ambitious and aspiring doctors to build a whole clinic. Until they found a bank that saw potential in their dream and granted them a loan.
In 2013, construction of ORTO Klīnika at 1A Bukultu Street was completed. The bold dream of the four daring doctors had come true. So, they invited three more talented and excellent doctors with a strong vision of what good medicine should be – two spinal surgeons Artis Gulbis and Kaspars Ruks, and radiologist Pēteris Līkums. And these seven men formed the core of the team that continued shaping and developing ORTO Klīnika and its values.
Ten years later, by 2023, the clinic has proven to be a significant centre of trauma and orthopaedics, spine surgery, rheumatology, and rehabilitation, carrying out more than 40 000 consultations and 3 000 surgeries a year. The clinic has now two branches – a department in Riga’s district Āgenskalns, and Daugavpils city. The clinic is employing almost 200 people, including 31 doctors and 35 physiotherapists. In order to ensure further development of the clinic, more construction works are to be started by the end of 2023 to expand the premises of ORTO Klīnika headquarters in Riga at 1A Bukultu Street.
