100 clinics address health minister, warn of collapse in general healthcare system

The Georgia’s Health Association, which unites about 100 clinics, 23,000 employees and serving 1,000,000 beneficiaries across the country, addressed the country’s Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili and invited him at a meeting on July 20 to resolve the state funding issue for the clinics as otherwise the healthcare system could fail to ensure proper services.

In a letter released on Wednesday, the Association claimed that since October of this year they had been trying to cooperate with the Ministry of Health, as well as with the Committee on Health Protection and Social Affairs of the Parliament of Georgia, to address tariffs and indexation issues.

“However, for nine months, a final decision could not be made on any of the issues raised by us,” said the Association, adding that the government offered the same tariffs and indexation to the clinics as in 2013, when the General Healthcare Programme was launched, while inflation had caused a serious surge in utility tariffs, consumables and others since then.

The Association said that during its earlier meetings with a deputy health minister, the clinics were promised  that the resuscitation standards would be introduced no later than June, and the diagnostic-related group (DRG)  system starting August, which would have eased the situation as the moves would have caused changes in the funding system.

“Your statement [Azarashvili’s] on July 11 was completely unexpected for us when you said that tariff indexation was not planned,” said the Association.

It stated that in 2013, for instance, the budget funding for a resuscitation bed amounted to 440- 240 GEL on a daily basis, and that the price was maintained up to now, while the clinic had to spent 730 GEL for such a bed on a daily basis now, considering the sharp increase in prices.