When asked by "Aktuaalne Kaamera" whether the wage hike, which will require tens of millions of euros in additional funds, is needed, Joller, herself a medical doctor by profession, said: "I think it is not, but the decision has already been made," she replied.

Katrin Rehemaa, secretary general of the Estonian medical association (Arstide liit), said she was surprised by Joller's statement, as well as by the idea that the medical system could potentially manage without additional funding by increasing its efficiency instead.

Rehemaa said: "If the population's need for medical care rises – and will do, as the population is aging, something we truly cannot halt – then additional funding is undoubtedly necessary."

One of Joller's predecessors as social affairs minister, Peep Peterson, said a solution must soon be found for the financial issues in the healthcare system, as without that, a tenth of the Health Insurance Fund's (Haigekassa) budget will have to be cut.

Peterson, also a former director of the Estonian Trade Union Confederation, said: "It is certainly a good thing that the person comes from the healthcare field and knows the internal procedures where savings can be made, but I think €200 million euros is too large a sum. There are probably some massive budget cut plans in the back pocket."

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