All Lithuanian medical workers will get a 15-percent raise, while those working in coronavirus hotspots will have their pay double, Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis said.
Skvernelis expects the parliament, Seimas, to endorse the plan which was approved by the government on Wednesday.
Read more: Lithuania's frontline medical staff to receive bonuses
The legislative package sees temporary pay rise for all health workers, while those working directly with Covid-19 patients can expect bonuses of between 50 and 100 percent of their salary.
“I believe that the Seimas will mobilise itself next Tuesday [...] and we'll adopt the draft [legislative package],” the told reporters on Wednesday.
The prime minister did not specify how much funds would be required for the planned temporary increase in medical salaries.
“We have a sufficient reserve in the Compulsory Health Insurance Fund [...] and we have other reserves, too,” he said. “I can assure you that there's no financial issue here.”
If the Seimas approves the plan, medical workers will receive higher salaries for the entire quarantine period.
The government introduced a two-week nationwide quarantine on March 16 and later extended it for another two weeks until April 13.
On Tuesday, the Seimas failed to pass a bill to increase salaries for medical workers in coronavirus hotspots by 50-100 percent after the opposition tabled a proposal to give a pay rise of 50 percent for all healthcare workers and of 100-150 percent for those in the hotspots.
Skvernelis described the opposition's proposal as populist, unreasonable and financially unjustified.
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