PM Gakharia: Healthcare programme should be people-oriented
Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia and Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze discuss the changes in universal healthcare program with heads of hospitals. Photo: PM's press office
Tweet 
Share
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia spoke of the proposed changes to the government-led health insurance programme with the heads of various hospitals earlier today.
PM Gakharia said the programme should first of all focus on the needs of citizens and, therefore, the current system needs to further develop to become more efficient.
Considering the healthcare reform as one of the most successful in recent years, PM Gakharia said it is important to preserve and improve its results and discuss every possible challenge.
If there are problems, we are ready to discuss”, PM Gakharia said.
For us, it is utmost important to ensure effectiveness of the universal healthcare system, otherwise, it cannot develop further”, he added.
Heads of various hospitals have been discontent with the proposed changes aimed at providing all clinics involved in the universal healthcare programme with equal funding from the state budget and then to offer services to their beneficiaries at a price set by the government.
Following the meeting with PM, which was also attended by Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze, a decision was made to establish a working group that would deal with the price gap and fix it.
Introduction of universal health insurance was one of the election promises of current ruling party back in 2012. This programme came into force a few months after the parliamentary elections on February 28, 2013.
Thanks to the programme, state-sponsored health insurance became available on a massive scale to people who would not otherwise be able to afford it.
Four pharmacy chains have received an additional supply of anti-flu medicine Tamiflu, totalling 800 packages from the Ministry of Health.
All clinics involved in the state General Healthcare Programme will receive equal funding from the state budget and provide services to beneficiaries at a price set by the state government, Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze said while presenting the healthcare reform late yesterday.
The Ministry of Health of Georgia has been awarded a certificate of an exemplary country combating Hepatitis C by the European Association for the Study of the Liver and International Liver Foundation in Austria.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank have positively assessed the progress and achievements of Georgia’s Universal Healthcare Program.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia has summarised 2019 by saying that it was a year full of challenges, but very successful, with Georgia coming closer to the EU and NATO and upgraded its relations with the US ‘at an all-time high.The PM has cited the occupation and jobs as key challenges for the country, adding that the Georgian economy is advancing.
Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze has stated in parliament today that social workers, who evaluate the social-economic conditions of families in Georgia, will be equipped with cameras ‘for more transparency and fairness in the provision of state funding for poor families.’
Fifty-six small clinics which have provided medical services for about 90,000 people in total will no longer be involved in the state healthcare programme, deputy Health Minister Tamar Gabunia says. Each of the 56 clinics had less than 7,000 beneficiaries. Only medical facilities which have 7,000 and more beneficiaries and whose locations are ‘critically important’ will be included.