Health Ministry to finance early testing for oncology patients, says candidate for Minister

Zurab Azarashvili, the candidate for the Minister of Health of Georgia, on Monday said the body would start financing early testing for patients with oncological illnesses “in the near future”.

Azarashvili said the needs of citizens with oncological diagnoses were “under special attention”. 

Since last year, services of chemo, hormone and radiation therapy, as well as surgical oncology have been financed for all citizens of Georgia”, the candidate Minister noted.

• Treatment, medicines to be financed for all oncology patients in Georgia

He added international cooperation for the domestic programme offering treatment abroad for children with oncological diagnoses would “lay the foundation” for the development of children's oncology services in Georgia. 

The programme was launched in 2023 and ensures “high-quality” and “high-tech services” for children in six partner clinics in Spain, Israel and Turkey, Azarashvili said, adding 50 patients had benefited since its launch.

The official also said the Ministry had started working on a project for training young oncology doctors at “leading foreign clinics”.