Eneli Kaasik argues that the effectiveness of small hospitals in Estonia hinges on the availability of a strong internal medicine profile. Currently, there is a shortage of internal medicine specialists across the country, and general practitioners are often stretched to their limits in meeting the healthcare needs across multiple hospitals. This situation raises questions about the underlying healthcare crisis and whether it is primarily due to a lack of resources, such as funding and workforce, or more fundamentally a lack of clarity in roles within the hospital network.

The discussions on the sustainability of the healthcare system and the future of the hospital network suggest that the role of small general hospitals is not merely determined by funding agreements from the health insurance fund or the population size of the regions they serve. Rather, it depends on the government’s ability to articulate a clear model for the hospital network with clearly defined roles for each facility, all supported by adequate resources. This clarity in roles is essential to improve the functionality and reliability of these hospitals in providing comprehensive healthcare to their communities.

The Ministry of Social Affairs' analysis titled "Hospital Network 2040" has sparked public discussions about the substantive role of community hospitals. The findings suggest that enhancing the internal medicine profile within these small hospitals can lead to better health outcomes and more effective healthcare delivery, indicating a critical area for policy improvement in addressing the ongoing healthcare challenges in Estonia.