Health Ministry: major clinic to replace Tbilisi’s Republican Hospital after demolition

The Georgian Health Ministry on Monday presented the concept for a new venue of the Central University Clinic in Tbilisi - also known as the Republican Hospital - with the planned facility set to replace the major medical institution after its planned demolition.

The presentation came following the controversial plan for the demolition, which sparked speculation around the hospital’s fate and fears its numerous personnel could lose jobs following the removal of the 1973-built venue located in central Tbilisi.

Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili said the new Clinic would have a capacity of 500 patient beds, children's oncology and haematology departments, a central blood bank of “modern standards”, a Good Distribution Practice-standard pharmacy, training spaces and a medical library. 

The Minister noted the hospital’s personnel would be offered qualification training both within and outside the country, in world’s “leading medical centres”, and added they would be employed in other clinics or keep their salaries during the construction of the venue. 

The Minister also cited 2018 and 2022 engineering reports by a domestic forensics bureau that

pointed to the poor condition of the current facility, in comments that explained the need to replace it.

He said the current hospital lacked services, failed modern standards and faced financial challenges, while adding practice of “many European countries” showed it was “necessary to have a state-operated, central, multifunctional clinic in the heart of the capital city”.