Eighty percent satisfied with Universal Healthcare Reform

About 134 million GEL has been spent on covering the cost of healthcare expenses for Georgian citizens within the Universal Healthcare (UHC) reform since it launched in 2013.

More than 80 percent of people said they were satisfied with the UHC reform, latest surveys revealed.

The Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia presented the one-year results of the UHC program yesterday. The Ministry provided the findings of the survey of 500 people conducted in Georgia between February-April, 2014 by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the World Bank.

Experts representing all of these organisations jointly presented the results in an event, which was attended by the country’s Prime Minister, Irakli Garibashvili.

"We set a goal and promised citizens that the state would take care of its citizens and not leave any of its citizens without a medical service,” the PM said.

"We have kept our promise. The reform, implemented by our Government, has made life easier for so many people [and, removed a financial burden from them."

As of May 5, 2014, 2.3 million people without health insurance prior to February 2013 were registered at primary healthcare centres, statistics revealed. 

Since the launch of the reform a total of 383, 707 cases were supported including emergency out-patient (229, 480), emergency in-patient (81, 495), planned in-patient (27, 030), cardiac surgery (1, 107), chemotherapy, hormonal and radiation therapy (12, 308) and deliveries (31, 867).

Almost all beneficiaries (96.4 percent) said they were "satisfied” or "very satisfied” with in-patient and/or emergency out-patient services and 80.3 percent of the beneficiaries were "satisfied" or "very satisfied" with planned out-patient services.

The evaluation of care by service components also suggested that the maximum share of dissatisfied beneficiaries (7.6 percent) was observed with regard to a "waiting period” for receiving health services.

Almost 70 percent of the interviewed beneficiaries expressed a wish to ensure pharmaceutical benefits were covered by the UHC program.

"These recommendations will serve as the basis for further development and improvement of the UHC program that will also be implemented in collaboration with international partner organizations,” the Healthcare Ministry said.