Solidarity Fund donates 2 million for treatment of 70 ill children

The people of Georgia have donated more than two million GEL to a fund that will pay for expensive medical treatment for children with cancer.

More than two million GEL has been collected by the Government-initiated Solidarity Fund since it was established in August 2014. Already the donated funds had financed the cost of local and international treatment for about 70 young patients living with cancer.

Solidarity Fund presented its fourth periodical report, which contained data from July 2014 to February 2015. The report noted more than 40,000 employees from 240 public institutions and 16 private companies had contributed to the Solidarity Fund since its establishment.

In total, the Fund had gathered 2,120,000 GEL since it launched nine months ago. Of this money, 1,757,000 GEL had already been approved to cover the cost of treatment for 44 patients in Georgia and 25 patients in clinics in Germany, Turkey, Israel, Italy and France.

Deputy Head of the Government Administration Nino Kobakhidze said the problem of financing oncology treatment for people under the age of 22 had "practically been solved” thanks to the new Fund.

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