Gov’t announces surgery funding for all cancer patients, tougher rules for dental clinics

The Georgian Government on Monday said it would fund oncological surgery, both planned and emergency, for all cancer patients without the state-funded insurance, and announced tougher regulations for dental service providers to ensure higher standards for safety. 

The former decision will also include law enforcement and defence veterans who receive state-funded insurance, as well as patients with an annual income over ₾40,000 ($15,000), the Government Administration said following the weekly cabinet meeting. 

The change comes following the Government's move in August to finance hormone therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and medication for all oncology patients throughout the country. 

As part of the latest amendments, oncological surgeries also become equally available to the country’s citizens”, the press office said, adding treatment of oncological diseases would be “equally accessible” to each beneficiary regardless of income within the state-funded Universal Healthcare Programme. 

The cabinet members also discussed new regulations initiated by the country’s Health Ministry for dental service providers, with the changes tightening rules for launching services and their subsequent operations. 

The Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili has discussed 15 questioins at today's meeting. 

Citing patient safety, the changes set updated criteria for infection prevention, control, sterilisation and disinfection as well as medical waste management, the press office said, adding they also required related clinics to assign an employee responsible for infection control. 

The clinics will also have to provide prophylactic immunisation of their staff against hepatitis B and screening against hepatitis C once every six months, with the changes coming into play from January.

Other topics reviewed covered transfer of accommodation in formal ownership of 75 internally displaced families in Tbilisi and the town of Tskneti on the outskirts of the capital city, with Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili pledging to continue the process for ensuring “decent living conditions” for all IDPs. 

In addition, five powerplant development and promotion projects were discussed at the meeting, along with their related technical and economic feasibility studies. 

The total installed capacity of the HPPs in question is more than 118 megawatts, with the total investment exceeding $167 million. The projects will be carried out in the central Shida Kartli region’s municipalities of Kareli, Khashuri and Kaspi.