Georgia, Tbilisi, June 14 / Trend N.Kirtzkhalia /
Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili demands that the Health Ministry puts things in order in the new clinics.
Saakashvili said at the opening of an international medical conference in Batumi that he was particularly concerned about the availability of treatment in new clinics, the timely payment of salaries and social justice in the distribution of wages among the staff.
The conference was attended by Georgian doctors who are working abroad. The conference is being organised at the initiative of the First Lady of Georgia Sandra Roelofs, who presides over it.
"We had virtually no health care. Now we have built more than 100 hospitals. A year ago, the opposition was laughing at us - where are your 100 hospitals and now they are silent because instead of 100 hospitals, 150 were built and I have no shame in leading Western guests there. For these hospitals we are not ashamed," he said.
At the same time, the Georgian president said that health care is a key indicator of living standards and this industry has many problems.
"This is down to retraining of medical personnel and in this direction work is underway. There is the optimisation and re-training of physicians for whom we are building a simulator centre in Tbilisi as well as other projects. We are constantly working to improve the training of doctors, but this now far from what we want to see," he said.
Saakashvili drew attention to the owners of the hospitals and the late payment of salaries to health workers.
"This is a big problem. If the situation was the same as when the doctors looked into the hands of patients, then there would be a disaster. All insurance companies and management of hospitals should ensure timely payment of wages," he stressed.
The President also demanded clinical principles to respect social justice when defining wages. "We should not have hospitals where nurses receive 75 laris, and the surgeon 5000 or 1700 laris. Medical staff is not a cash cow that can be milked and made to work. I am in favour of social justice in the distribution of wages and doctors should share their salary with medical staff. Such a difference in wages is unacceptable in Georgia," he stressed.
Saakashvili addressed the compatriot doctors and asked for their help in the development of the country's health systems.
"We stood on one leg building clinics and now we need a skilled workforce and your role is important in their training. These are visits to Georgia with exponential operations, remote control over operations with the help of modern communications, holding seminars, etc. In this case, I hold out hope for you," the president said.