Oncology patients to complete full course of drug treatment with state funding
There are more than 38,000 oncology patients in Georgia. Photo: Nino Alavidze/Agenda.ge.
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Oncology patients in Georgia will be able to complete full courses of drug treatment with state funding.
Georgian Prime Minister Giorgi Gakharia announced at today's government meeting that the list of anti-cancer drugs within the Universal Healthcare programme is expanding and the annual limit on medicines per each patient has increased by 8,000 GEL.
The new cancer treatment program will apply to a total of 40,000 citizens of Georgia.
Georgian Health Minister Ekaterine Tikaradze added that until now the patients received funding for drugs only at a certain stage of treatment and they would not be able to complete the treatment because they could not afford it.
Therefore, we decided for the state to take on the responsibility to fund our citizens during this difficult period. The new generation of drugs that are most effective in combating this disease will be available to all citizens who need it", Tikaradze said.
She said that currently the state offers two programmes for the oncology patients.
One envisages financing with 12,000 GEL, the other with 15,000 GEL. Tikaradze said that 8,000 GEL will be added to both programmes.
We have calculated the cost of the programme and 8,000 GEL is the amount needed for the full implementation of the programme", she said.
Tikaradze said that there are more than 38,000 oncology patients in Georgia.
Tbilisi City Hall has announced plans to increase funding for liver transplantation from existing 60,000 GEL ($21,000) to 70,000 GEL($26,000).
The Ministry of Labour Health and Social Affairs of Georgia will finance the cost of treatment for patients with early stage breast cancer in Georgia’s regions.
The Government of Georgia is expanding the number of state-funded medical services on offer to people in Georgia suffering with cancer.
Tbilisi City Hall is allocating three million GEL for a program to treat patients with early stage breast cancer in Georgia's capital, Tbilisi.
In order to help oncology patients in Georgia to complete full courses of drug treatment with state funding, amendments have been made to the Universal Healthcare programme which come into force today.
Georgian Parliament Speaker Shalva Papuashvili and a group of MPs on Friday visited children patients with leukaemia in a Tbilisi clinic to bring messages of congratulation on the holiday season and wishes for the new year.
The Georgian Government will finance treatment for 300 children cancer patients in the country in the “best clinics” around the world in a ₾30 million ($12mln) annual programme, Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili announced on Monday.
The Georgian Ministry of Health will fully finance liver transplantation surgeries, increasing the state support from partial coverage, the Georgian Government Administration announced on Monday. In addition, liver, heart or kidney transplantations are now used to classify patients as having “significant disability”, in a change that came into force in January.
The Georgian Ministry of Health and medical institutions in Israel, Spain and Turkey will sign agreements on cooperation this month to offer treatment to 300 children patients of cancer in Georgia in a ₾30 million ($11.56mln) annual programme. The programme - fully financed by the state - would be a “transitional stage” until services are strengthened in Georgia, and a children's oncology centre, equipped with modern standards and high-tech equipment, is created in the country.
The Georgian Government will fully finance treatment of children with oncological diseases in medical institutions of Israel, Spain and Turkey after signing a deal on cooperation with partner clinics on Monday, the Health Ministry announced.
The Georgian Health Ministry on Monday rejected claims by domestic media outlets on children patients of oncological illnesses not being able to benefit from the state programme covering costs of their treatment abroad.
Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili on Monday said 100 to 150 “successful” students from domestic medical institutions would have costs of their study and accommodation abroad funded by the Ministry.