Doctor rejects claims ex-Pres. Saakashvili lost consciousness in clinic

Zurab Chkhaidze, the Clinical Director of Vivamedi clinic in Tbilisi, on Thursday rejected claims by the imprisoned former President Mikheil Saakashvili and his legal team that said he had suffered “several blackout episodes” over the past several days due to “very complicated” health condition.

Chkhaidze, who represents the clinic where the former President has been undergoing treatment since May 2022, said “none of the medical workers” in his facility, including those monitoring Saakashvili’s health “round-the-clock”, had confirmed the alleged incidents. 

He said despite testing positive for Covid-19 earlier this week, the former official’s health remained “stable”, with “all hemodynamic and respiratory indicators in norm”. 

Chkhaidze noted Saakashvili had suffered a “mild form” of the virus and was showing no temperature, but added “all necessary equipment” had been provided to his ward to deal with potential complications.

The claims [by the lawyers] that the former President is in a critical condition and in urgent need of intensive care are solely their views - with no doctors who are checking the patient’s health on a daily basis pointing to such necessity”, Chkhaidze said. 

Saakashvili currently holds Ukrainian citizenship. He took a public post in the country before his arrest in Tbilisi in October 2021, just ahead of local municipal elections. Photo: 1TV. 

He also said the lawyers had not provided the results of their Covid-19 testing so far, while all medical workers in contact with the imprisoned former official had tested negative for the virus. 

A trial hearing on granting Saakashvili release or postponement of the rest of his sentence on medical grounds is scheduled on Friday, amid claims by Government officials that the former President had been engaged in “self-harm” and disobedience of doctors’ instructions, with the aim of facilitating an “escape from justice”. 

Saakashvili was arrested in Tbilisi in October 2021 after his clandestine return to Georgia. He is serving a six-year term for two separate cases of abuse of power while in office, with three other cases involving his term pending. 

His lawyers and family members have claimed the former President is in “urgent need” of treatment abroad, alleging local professionals had been “unable” to make “accurate diagnosis and ensure relevant treatment” for months.