The State Audit Office (SAO) is an independent audit institution and as the law clearly states – performs audit activities in accordance with the adopted annual audit plan of the Council of SAO, which provides for time, human resource allocation per each individual audit. Such was the office’s response to the Finance Ministry’s (FM) request to perform an audit at Stradins University Hospital.

The office concludes its legality audits and has begun its annual ministry and central state institutions annual finance audit. With that, the SAO has no ability to perform an audit at Stradins University Hospital. Moreover, any requests from the FM or any other ministry does not hold authority and cannot be considered an appropriate reason for the SAO to perform any audits, the office reports.

The SAO points that the Healthcare Ministry as a State shareholder of Stradins University Hospital was obligated by law to ensure the implementation of specific objectives, as well as perform regular and comprehensive financial and strategic performance analyses at the said healthcare institution.

The SAO received the letter from the FM, in which the institution requests an opportunity to perform an audit at Stradins University Hospital, based on the detailed statement from the Cabinet of Ministers about the financial problems the hospital is currently going through, on Thursday, August 9.

This request was issued because this summer the government received a request to allocate ten million LVL to the hospital to invest in its base capital for the stabilization of the situation. The government put off making the decision on this issue multiple times.

Ref: 102.109.109.3005