The health care system includes a variety of institutions responsible for health protection.
In Latvia, the top government authority in the health sector is the Ministry of Health.
In the field of health care, the Ministry of Health develops State policy in such sub-fields as disease prevention, diagnostics, treatment, patient rehabilitation, and the organisation of health care.
The Ministry of Health supervises the work of various subordinate institutions, each of which fulfil certain obligations and are, therefore, also responsible for health protection:
- the National Health Service which implements state policies in health care
- the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control which ensures epidemiological safety and disease prevention
- the Health Inspection which monitors medical institutions and the quality of health care services
- the State Emergency Medical Service which provides emergency medical assistance
- the State Agency of Medicines which ensures the safety of products used in health care (medicines, medical devices, blood, cells, tissues and organs)
- the State Blood Donor centre which prepares blood products
- the State Centre for Forensic Medical Examination which conducts forensic medical examinations
- the Anti-Doping Bureau which conducts testing on athletes (doping control)
The Ministry of Health also represents the state (as the owner) in several public capital companies that implement health care and protection, such as: