After the consideration of the agenda issues, the floor was given to the Minister of IDPs from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health and Social Protection, Eketerine Tikaradze, reporting to the Parliament within the Ministerial Hour.

She stressed the issues like the pandemic, vaccination, initial healthcare reform, medical service quality, uniform tariff policy, labor rights of the physicians etc.

The country, she stated, celebrated the victories but faced failures too in countering the pandemic. “By the immense efforts of our professional medical personnel, up to 300 000 persons have been healed. Unfortunately, we have 4000 citizens claimed of the pandemic, which is the greatest loss for our country. Being the Healthcare Minister, I can now declare that the health of our citizens are in reliable hands and the experience we have gained allows us to address the pandemic challenges”, - she stated stressing the addressing the third wave of the pandemic, which is far dangerous since now we deal with the mutated virus. She called on society to precautions and adherence to the recommendations, use of the PPE and get vaccinated.

The vaccines, she stated, are the greatest achievement of public healthcare and our society shall not be misled about its benefits. The active immunization of the population is one of the ways to end the pandemic and annul the restrictions.

“We share the complications deriving from the restrictions and thus, we applied all possible means to prevent yet another lockdown like in many countries where the quarantine still remains valid. We strive to keep the balance between the public health and economic sustainability”.

The reporter introduced the vaccination statistic data adding that the Government now specifies the terms of provision of 1 ml shots of “Pfizer”. As noted, Georgia will additionally receive 86 000 shots of “AstraZeneca” and 100 000 shots of “Sinovac”.

“We gradually increase the number of the vaccination points for higher accessibility to the vaccines and hold the process maximally safe. I would like to introduce a novelty as well – soon, we will engage our youth in capacity of the vaccination officers in the vaccination process, informing society about the vaccines and assisting them to get registered on the vaccination portal”.

She overviewed the hospital and initial healthcare mobilization noting that the healthcare system, its personnel and infrastructural resources is ready for the effective management of the 3rd wave. She touched upon the reforms in the healthcare system to become effective of June 1 and envisaging the system improvements, namely in improved financing mechanisms; increased capacity and geographic access of the initial healthcare; the enhanced role of the family doctor; improved infrastructure; innovative approaches, digitalization etc.

She stressed the medical service and pharmaceutical quality and despite improved healthcare services, the critical challenges remain in the medical service and pharmaceutical quality. Hence, the Ministry launches the improvements. As to the tariffs, soon we will have a uniform tariff policy.

“The maximal targeted and bona fide application of the budget is the key priority for the Ministry. We keep the tariff establishment process to soon apply the equalized tariffs on all nosologies. I share the concern of the business sector about the new regulations and let me openly state that the Ministry is committed to discussing these issues to ensure the response to the needs of the population and ensure the sustainable development of the medical sector”.

The Minister emphasized the necessity of the development of the healthcare system – own medical service provision resources.

As stated, the Ministry launches the professional development international standard platform for doctors. She finished her report stating that the reforms at certain stages require the respective legal changes.

“Dear Members of Parliament, I would like to take this opportunity and called on you to the fundamental changes in the legislation. Your engagement will be crucial for the fulfillment of all the promises I have mentioned today”.

She resumed her speech with the social issues: “Let me start with the unprecedented novelty for the last decade – the adoption of the Social Code. The current system fails to ensure due support of human lives at every stage. The current social and healthcare services cover many directions but are still fragmented and insufficient. We accept this problem and start the legal changes. At this stage, in cooperation with the European experts, we study the social systems of Georgia and Europe to use them as the basis for the Social Code. Sharing the experience of the successful countries will be used for the legal reform to ensure effective coordinated protection. The Social Code shall serve the guarantee of meeting the needs of our society. If we aspire to become a member of the European family, then we shall take care of every citizen as it is ensured in the European countries. We shall be prompt, flexible and coordinated and this initiative shall be converted from the proposal to a real outcome, so I appeal to the Parliament for the active engagement”.

She stressed the social aid, estimation methods, family assessment process, fundamental changes for the persons with disabilities and child care.

“The Government also strives to enhance the families to prevent the children encountering the social problems and distancing of the parents with their children due to the social problems. I am glad to declare that we managed to return 105 children to their biological families last year”.

As the Minister stated, labor safety is one of the key directions for the Ministry and in 2021, the Ministry set up the LEPL Labor Inspection Service.

“Simultaneously with the increased mandate, Labor Inspection Service demonstrated impressive outcomes in labor safety and pandemic management. In view of the enforcement of the regulations, the Service in cooperation with the respective agencies undertook more than 12 000 events, which evidences that it is an effective institution aiming at the safety of our citizens”.

Safe and dignified labor is included in the Association Agreement.

The Minister stressed the circular labor migration, which due to the misinterpretations, was subject to criticism. “Our citizens upon the illegal labor migration have been exposed to the trafficking and labor exploitation. We provided our citizens with the opportunity to temporarily and legally get employed abroad in friend countries with dignified salaries and a healthy labor environment. Other than the economic interest, our citizens will acquire the experience and share it in the national activity. Let me underline that as their labor contract expires, they shall return to Georgia”.

The Ministry holds active negotiations with France, Bulgaria and EU states on labor migration. She touched upon the IDPs and dwelt on the programs ensuring the long-term and safe accommodation of IDPs. “Other than the accommodation, we strive to provide them with the aid in social integration, employment and economic enhancement. In view of the facilitation in employment, vocational education, agricultural and entrepreneurial activity, we intend to finance 350 IDPs. The budget of the living allowances has been increased from 400 000 GEL in 2020 to 1 100 000 GEL in 2021. It will be further increased to 2 200 000 GEL in 2022. The Agency launched the state program to support the migrants in returning to Georgia. In 2021, in view of facilitation of self-employment, up to 200 migrants will receive the grants”.

The Minister answered the divers and acute questions, after which the floor was given to the Committees, Factions and MPs.

Dimitri Khundadze on behalf of the Health Care and Social Issues Committee: “You overviewed so many important issues, enhancement of the healthcare system, which is of utmost importance under the pandemic as it was exposed to the greatest pressure. But the main index in this situation is that none of our citizens were left without treatment. There were gaps but even the world fails to address these problems and mistakes and I think, we shall be patient and have adequate expectations. The decisions on selective contracting shall be timely made, tariff contracts require the revision of the needs, which is the part of the reforms. We collaborate on the quality of the medicines with our European experts and start the activities in the Committee. Reforming of the post-diplomatic development is a constantly updating sphere, which is impossible without education. The Social Code is a wide-scale reform and cannot be achieved without close cooperation with the Parliament. As to awareness of society, we encounter a deficit in this term as the socially vulnerable citizens are not aware of the benefits and they shall be better informed, including on vaccination. There is much to do to save lives and I would like to thank our medical personnel for their efforts. Unfortunately, sometimes they fail in struggling for the lives but the damage could be much worse without their hard work”.

Levan Ioseliani, non-Faction MP: “I never hesitate to say what is wrong and what is right and if I see that your efforts related to the increase of the tourist flow in Georgia are successful, I will applaud”.

David Zilpimiani: “As to the private and state sectors, let me tell you that the state has gone wrong when privatized the medical institutions. It appeared absolutely not cost-effective and the state now pays much more to the private sector to cover the social segment. I am also upset that our resources outflow to other countries and our professionals are employed on non-qualified jobs there, they are forced to migrate because of their poverty. Our doctors shall enjoy the social preferences as it is a main segment of the healthcare system”.

Mikheil Sarjveladze: “If anyone expected to hear that the healthcare system has no problems, it would be wrong expectations. I am glad to see the team committed to accept the problems, identifying them and address them. It makes me hopeful that we will achieve a breakthrough in the directions, such are social provision, healthcare, countering the pandemic etc.”

Vladimir Kakhadze: “As you have mentioned, there were victories and failures and it is the reality envisions by the doctor, and estimation of the tragedy the whole world encounters. Unfortunately, there still are people refusing to believe in the existence of COVID-19 but more than 300 000 persons have been treated in hospitals believing in this terrible virus. We shall believe them that we need to be extremely careful and the pandemic shall be addressed in an organized manner. It is the solution where the Ministry with its professional team and equipped with pragmatism and practice, serves as the mediator for us to realize the situation and do our best. We shall remember our past and save ourselves”.

The Parliament resumed with the agenda and discussed the Bill on Code of Administrative Offenses introduced by the Chair of the Legal Committee, Anri Okhanashvili with the I reading.

The Bill aims at the compliance of Article 247 with the Constitution.

According to him, the initiative is related to the Decision of the Constitutional Court, namely the administrative detention and introduction of a detained person to the Court.

According to the change, the person shall be introduced to the court within 48 hours or released immediately. The change is entailed with the Decision of the Constitutional Court and ensures equal treatment.

The reporter also introduced with the I reading the Bill on Code of Administrative Offenses, envisaging the penalty for the petty offense or disobedience to or humiliation of the law-enforcement officer. Part 2 is introduced to Article 166 envisaging the penalty of 1500-2000 GEL or detention of 7-15 days for the petty offenses.

The Bill reformulates Article 173 establishing the penalty of 2000-3000 GEL or detention of up to 15 days for the disobedience or humiliation, and the repeated offense – a penalty of 3500-4500 GEL or penalty of 10-15 days.

MPs approved the Bills along with the Protocol on Amendment to the European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road of September 30, 1957, envisaging the terminological changes.

The document was introduced by the Deputy Economic Minister, Guram Guramishvili.

The Parliament heard the report by the Health Care and Social Issues Committee for 2020 introduced by the Chair, Dimitri Khundadze.

The next plenary session is convened on April 29 at 12h00.