First Deputy Health Minister says paediatric oncology is Ministry’s “priority”
Gabunia added the foreign clinics would also help train domestic health professionals to provide the services in Georgia. Photo: IPN
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Paediatric oncology and provision of children patients with “high quality, contemporary” healthcare services represents a “priority” of the Ministry of Health of Georgia, First Deputy Minister Tamar Gabunia said on Monday.
Gabunia said the Ministry's new programme for financing treatment for 300 children cancer patients in the country in the “best clinics” around the world would enable them to access the most “modern and innovative high-tech” medical services including proton treatment, a type of radiation therapy that uses protons rather than x-rays.
The initiative was revealed on Monday and involves the Government spending ₾30 million ($12mln) for the purpose annually, with clinics in Israel, Spain and Turkey selected for the project.
She also noted the significance of surgical interventions using robotics and other interventions in saving lives, noting the standard of medical care would be “considerably improved” by the model in the near future.
Gabunia added the foreign clinics would also help train domestic health professionals to provide the services in Georgia.
“Oncology services will be developed in Georgia, and the partner clinics that were chosen for the programme based on specific criteria will assist us in training Georgian physicians on the ground to improve the service in the future”, the Deputy Minister added.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said the complication with ensuring access to Voxzogo (vosoritide), an experimental drug for treating achondroplasia, for children in the country was its potential side effects and not funding from his Government.
Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili on Monday said the Government had allocated ₾465 million ($185.65mln) to raise monthly assistance to socially vulnerable children to ₾200 ($79.85) this 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.
Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili on Monday said the Ministry would finance "year-long medication needs" for oncology patients and was in talks with drug manufacturers.
Irakli Garibashvili, the Prime Minister of Georgia, on Monday said the Government funding of domestic healthcare programmes had hit ₾7 billion ($2.7 billion) over the past 10 years, in comments marking an anniversary of the State Universal Healthcare Programme.
Tamar Gabunia, the Georgian Deputy Health Minister, on Monday called parents demanding Government provision of an experimental drug for treating achondroplasia to halt rallies and “return to constructive dialogue” with the body to facilitate the “complicated process” of introducing the medicine for their children.
Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili on Thursday highlighted increased funding of the Universal Healthcare Programme and higher number of financed services in his address to the Parliament.
Tamar Gabunia, the Georgian Deputy Health Minister, on Tuesday told the World Health Assembly in Geneva her Government was working to improve maternal, newborn and child health services across the country.
The Ministry of Health of Georgia on Thursday announced three new clinics were added to the state programme financing oncological treatment of children under 18 at foreign medical institutions.