Solidarity Fund: Public donations fund cancer treatment for youth

No child with cancer in Georgia has died due to lack of finances in the past year thanks to increased public donations.

The Government-initiated Solidarity Fund presented a report overviewing its work since it established in July 2014.

The report stated in the past 18 months the Fund had collected more than 4.6 million GEL from local donors, who were 55,000 public sector employees and 23 private companies across Georgia.

Since its creation the Fund has confirmed it would fund the vital cancer treatment for 182 children and adults under the age of 22. These finances included:

• 934 317 GEL;
• $2, 124 702; and
• € 735,165

A portion of this sum has already been donated to the ill patients but the rest were based on expected future donations.

The Fund said 88 of the 182 patients had been treated locally but others would need to get medical treatment at hospitals in Germany, Spain, Turkey, Japan, Israel, Italy and France.

The Fund was created following the proposal of the Prime Minister, which encouraged the public sector to donate funds that would be distributed to cover the cost of treatment for ill children and other priority social needs.

As word spread about the creation and purpose of the Solidarity Fund, the number of donors increased to 23 private companies, 53 student self-governing and youth organisations and non-governmental organisations.