Paediatric pulmonologist in Latvia
where to get treatment, how to verify certification, what this doctor does
- Certification check: State register of medical practitioners (opens in a new window)
- Certificates are issued by the Certification Council of the Latvian Medical Association (opens in a new window)
- Noticed outdated info? Report it
A paediatric pulmonologist deals with persistent coughs, wheezing and asthma in children. The doctor explains how to use an inhaler correctly and when symptoms call for an in-person visit.
The consultation happens over video, so it works the same in Riga, Daugavpils, Liepāja, Jelgava, Jūrmala, Ventspils and Rēzekne.
No verified doctor in this specialty yet
We check every certificate by hand, so the list grows step by step. Choose another specialty or start with a family doctor.
Other paediatric pulmonologists in Latvia
These doctors have not confirmed their profile yet, so they cannot be booked for now.
- Līga Berķe
- Aija Briška
- Aina Maskalāne
- Lota Ozola
- Mariana Rižikova
- Renāte Snipe
Known paediatric pulmonologists in Latvia
No doctor in our current list is registered under the paediatric pulmonology specialty, so no names are published here. In Latvia the field is often combined with paediatric allergology, and most specialists work at the Children's Clinical University Hospital. Any individual doctor's certificate can be checked in the state register (opens in a new window).
When to call 113 instead of booking
- An asthma attack that does not settle after the inhaler.
- A child who cannot finish a sentence without a breath, or speaks one word at a time.
- Drawing in between the ribs, flaring nostrils, grunting on exhale.
- Blue lips, tongue or fingertips.
- Pauses in breathing, or marked floppy drowsiness.
- Sudden coughing and choking where the child may have inhaled a small object.
- Coughing up blood.
- Swelling of face, lips or tongue with rash and difficulty breathing after a medicine, sting or food.
What a paediatric pulmonologist treats
A paediatric pulmonologist treats disease of the airways, lungs, pleura and mediastinum in patients up to 18. In Latvia the field is usually combined with paediatric allergology, since asthma, allergic rhinitis and atopic dermatitis often occur in the same child.
- Asthma and obstructive airway disease
- Persistent or recurring cough with no clear cause
- Repeated pneumonia and bronchitis
- Allergic disease, including food and drug allergy
- Children who fall ill frequently
- Breathing problems during exercise, including in young athletes
A family doctor or paediatrician is enough for one-off respiratory infections. A paediatric pulmonologist is needed when a cough keeps returning or drags on, when treatment is not working, or when lung function and allergy testing are required.
Subtypes
Paediatric pulmonology in Latvia has no separate sub-specialties. In practice some doctors work across both paediatric pulmonology and allergology, and a few also work in paediatric sleep medicine.
Glossary
- Spirometry
- measurement of lung volume and expiratory flow. At the Children's Clinical University Hospital it is performed from age 5.
- Oscillometry
- measurement of airway resistance, suitable for younger children. At the Children's Hospital it is performed from age 4.
- Bronchodilator test
- spirometry before and after an inhaled medicine, to see whether airway narrowing is reversible.
- Skin allergy test
- allergens applied to the skin to identify sensitivity to specific substances.
- IgE and molecular allergens
- blood tests showing allergic sensitivity to individual allergens.
- Provocation test
- controlled administration of a food or medicine under medical supervision, to confirm or rule out allergy.
- Immunotherapy (desensitisation)
- long-term treatment reducing sensitivity to an allergen such as house dust mites or cats.
- Sanation bronchoscopy
- endoscopic inspection and clearing of the airways.
How someone becomes a paediatric pulmonologist in Latvia
- Six years of medical study and a doctor's degree, at Rīga Stradiņš University (opens in a new window) or the University of Latvia.
- Entry to the paediatric pulmonology programme requires a copy of a valid paediatrician certificate, or university confirmation of third-year residency in the base specialty "Pediatrs". For doctors without the paediatrics specialty the programme runs six years.
- Residency in paediatric pulmonology. The RSU programme runs 3 years, 132 credit points or 198 ECTS, tuition 5,120 EUR per year, with 1 state-funded place in the intake. Programme page: RSU residency programme (opens in a new window).
- Rotations cover paediatric inpatient and outpatient pulmonology, adult pulmonology, phthisiology, paediatric bronchology, radiology, paediatric resuscitation and intensive care, rehabilitation, and paediatric thoracic surgery.
- The state examination covers theory plus defence of a research project.
- The certificate is valid for 5 years. Recertification requires 250 continuing education points, at least 60 per cent tied to the base specialty, plus a 48.38 EUR fee.
- Entry in the practitioners register must be renewed every 5 years.
How to verify this doctor's certificate
- 1Open Health Inspectorate - register of medical practitioners (registri.vi.gov.lv) (opens in a new window).
- 2Enter the surname or practitioner identifier in the search box.
- 3Confirm the listed specialty reads "Bērnu pneimonologs". Some doctors also hold paediatric allergology and paediatrics in the register.
- 4Check the certificate validity date. A permit or an adaptation period is not a certificate.
- 5If anything is unclear, see the register explanation page (opens in a new window).
Where this specialist practises, by city
Rīga
- Clinic of Children's Diseases at the Children's Clinical University Hospital (opens in a new window)
providing specialist diagnosis and treatment in paediatric pulmonology and allergology. At the outpatient centre a child with unclear symptoms is seen first by a paediatrician, who refers on to the right specialist once initial tests are back.
- Children's Hospital ward 6: pulmonology, allergology, dermatology (opens in a new window)
open around the clock.
- Premium Medical (opens in a new window)
where paediatric pulmonologist Līga Berķe sees children and teenagers up to 18 and consults in Latvian, Russian, English and French.
There are no separate paediatric pulmonology units outside Rīga. In the regions a child with breathing complaints is seen first by the family doctor or paediatrician and then referred to Rīga.
Choosing between doctors
- Languages. Consultations run in Latvian and Russian, with some doctors also working in English and French.
- Tests on site. If spirometry, oscillometry or skin allergy testing is planned, check whether the provider performs them and from what age.
- The child's age. Spirometry is usually possible from age 5 and oscillometry from age 4, so the test options differ for younger children.
- Allergy and asthma together. If the child has both respiratory and skin or food symptoms, a specialist working across both fields saves referrals.
- Second opinion. A child's legal representative may freely choose the doctor and institution.
What a visit looks like
- Bring information on the child's health, the medicines they take, and relevant family health history.
- If spirometry is planned, salbutamol (Ventolin) should be avoided for at least 6 hours before the visit, and combined medicines such as Seretide or Symbicort for 24 hours, where the child's condition allows.
- If skin allergy testing is planned, antihistamines should be stopped at least 5 days before the visit, where the child's condition allows.
- Where food allergy is suspected, keep a food diary recording what the child eats and whether it triggers symptoms. If the baby is breastfed, the mother keeps a diary too.
- At the visit the doctor reviews symptoms, examines the child, and orders lung function tests, allergy testing or imaging as needed.
Cost
Children under 18 are among the groups exempt from patient co-payments, so a state-funded paediatric pulmonology consultation on referral costs the family nothing. That also covers state-funded imaging for which adults would pay a co-payment. A private visit is paid by the parents or an insurer, and tests are charged separately from the consultation.
| Service | Price |
|---|---|
| Patient co-payment for a child under 18 | 0.00 EUR (National Health Service of Latvia (opens in a new window), price list checked 8 August 2026) |
| State-funded consultation on referral | 0.00 EUR (NVD, exemption for children under 18, price list checked 8 August 2026) |
| Private paediatric pulmonology consultation | per clinic price list EUR (Premium Medical (opens in a new window), price list checked 8 August 2026) |
Professional association and oversight
The specialty body is the association "Latvijas Bērnu alergologu un pneimonologu biedrība" (Latvian Association of Paediatric Allergologists and Pulmonologists), registration number 40008061291, registered address Vienības gatve 45, Children's Clinical University Hospital, ward 18, Rīga, LV-1004. Contacts: Ineta Grantiņa and Elīna Aleksejeva, emails ineta.grantina@bkus.lv and elina.aleksejeva@bkus.lv.
Certificates in paediatric pulmonology are issued by the Certification Council of the Latvian Medical Association (opens in a new window), founded in 1988. The sector regulator is the Health Inspectorate.
Patient rights and complaints
If you have doubts about the care a child received, raise them first with the institution's management, which must operate a complaints and suggestions system. If that does not resolve it, the child's legal representative may submit a written complaint to the Health Inspectorate no later than two years after the alleged infringement. It is reviewed within 30 days, extendable to four months in complex cases. The procedure is set out on the Health Inspectorate site (opens in a new window).
FAQ
Do I need a referral to see a paediatric pulmonologist?
Yes, for a state-funded consultation. At the Children's Hospital a child with unclear symptoms is seen first by a paediatrician, who refers on after initial tests.
What does a visit cost?
There is no co-payment in the public system for children under 18. A private visit is priced by the clinic's own list.
How do I confirm a doctor is certified?
Enter the surname in the practitioners register (opens in a new window) and check that the paediatric pulmonology specialty is listed and the certificate is valid.
How does a paediatric pulmonologist differ from an adult one?
A paediatric pulmonologist works with the airways of a growing body up to 18, and in Latvia often with allergic disease as well. An adult pulmonologist also manages tuberculosis patients.
How often is certification renewed?
Every 5 years, on 250 continuing education points.
This page was reviewed by Sergejs Ponomarjovs, from the E-Medicīna team. More about us.
Sources, last-reviewed footer and fact-check
Last reviewed: 8 August 2026
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