Ilia Nakashidze

Remarks of Mr. Ilia Nakashidze, Deputy Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia
WMA General Assembly, Tbilisi, Georgia
Dear Colleagues,
I greet you in the name of the Parliament of Georgia.
As you know, Georgia is the symbol of Medea, besides being a symbol of wine.
According a Greek myth, Medea is the youngest daughter of Aiet, the king of Kolkheti. The development
of medicine is connected with her name. Even the word “medicine” comes from her name “Medea”.
According to legends and myths, Medea had a great talent of healing.
From 2013, lots of changes were made in healthcare system. The costs on healthcare are increasing every
year. The foundation of universal access to health care has been established for each citizen.
Due to the high prevalence of hepatitis C in the country, the C-hepatitis elimination program has been
launched since 2015. Hepatitis C screening, diagnosis and treatment are available to Georgian citizens
and persons with a neutral travel document. All patients involved in the program receive expensive
medications for free. The program has no analogue in the world. For today, more than 55,000 individuals
have completed treatment. The cure rate is 98%.
Appropriate attention is paid to Tuberculosis – Diagnosis and Treatment is 100% covered by the State
program.
The Ministry of Health offers approximately 21 types of social assistance to each of the five target groups
(single elderly, single parents, disabled children and persons with disabilities, orphaned children and poor
child families).
Socially vulnerable persons, citizens of retirement age (female – 60, male – 65) and children with
disabilities, as well as persons with severe or significant disabilities are provided with medicines
practically free of charge during a number of chronic diseases.
The Parliament of Georgia is the supreme representative body of the country that exercises legislative
power, defines the main directions of the country’s domestic and foreign policies, controls the activities
of the Government within the scope established by the Constitution, and exercises other powers.
According to the amendments to the Constitution of Georgia on October 13, 2017, Georgia has fully
become a country with parliamentary model of governance, and the involvement of citizens in Parliament
is more important now. In addition, the Parliament of Georgia is involved in the Open Government
Partnership (OGP) initiative, under which it is committed to making parliamentary work more open and
transparent.
In 1997, we adopted the Law of Georgia on Health Care, and in 2001 we adopted the Law of Georgia on
Medical Practices.
In 2000, we adopted the Law on Patient Rights, to protect the rights of the citizen in the field of health
care, as well as to ensure his / her honor and dignity. We have written in this law that “The rights and
welfare of citizens in the healthcare sphere shall take preference over the interests of medicine and
medical science”.
In addition to the legislative function of Parliament, Parliament ensures the balance of power and acts as
a body that protects the interests of the people.
In the process of building a democratic society, the role of professional unions is increasing. We are
looking forward to more initiatives!
Good luck!
Thank you for your attention!