Abkhaz Doctors Accused of Treason for Getting Training in Tbilisi

Op-Ed

Last week saw another scandal in occupied Abkhazia, this time connected with the rest of Georgia. The Asian Stink Bug problem has been substituted with the Abkhazian doctors problem; those who cross the occupation line and travel to Tbilisi to attend medical trainings. As they say in Sokhumi: “what Tbilisi was unable to do with insects and tanks, it is now doing with the help of medical diplomacy.” The visit of Abkhazian doctors was confirmed in Tbilisi, but the fuss that followed it in Abkhazia left everyone in bewilderment.

The group of doctors travelled to the ‘Disaster & Critical Care Medicine Center’ in Tbilisi, to learn how to drive and use the equipment installed in ambulances. Organizer Zurab Lakerbaia said that the training was held in the framework of an agreement signed with a Dutch NGO, and added that the organization was ready to ship the ambulance as a gift to Sokhumi if the local doctors were trained in Tbilisi. The Abkhaz doctors agreed to these terms and the project was fulfilled. But then de facto Minister of Health of occupied Abkhazia, Ruslan Achba, described the deed as treason: "The Russian Medical Academy takes care of the qualifications of our medical personnel. We didn’t ask for trainings and did not agree to anything, especially with countries that are hostile towards Abkhazia.” This, even though he must be aware that dozens of Abkhazians have already made use of the medical programs offered in Tbilisi. Official data suggests that just in the first five months of 2017, 107 Ethnic Abkhazians visited Tbilisi using the deferral program from the occupied territory; in 2016 – 325; in 2015 - 307 people, among them 69 children; in 2014 - 868 of which 79 were children. The demand for medical treatment was high in 2006-2010, too. During that period, the hospitals of Zugdidi and Tbilisi served up to 600 Abkhazian patients,

VIPs are also open to getting medical help in Tbilisi clinics. It is known that after having a heart operation in Moscow, the third so-called president of occupied Abkhazia received rehabilitation treatment in Tbilisi. No one has confirmed this officially, but if we consider the fact that former de-facto Minister Rusudan Marshania lives in Tbilisi, runs an NGO and does actively travel to and from Sokhumi, it won’t be a surprise that former “presidents” also visit us for medical reasons.

Abkhazian newspaper Nuzhnaya Gazeta published an interview with Zurab Lakerbaia, founder of NGO Alasha, who said that the organization had signed an agreement with Dutch colleagues who work on medical equipment, including supplying ambulances. He said: “We are in need of ambulances. Unfortunately, we don’t have such professionals in Abkhazia who can work with such complex equipment. The Dutch organization demanded that our doctors were trained in Georgia [-proper]. Tbilisi has a training ambulance so, taking into consideration that recently an Abkhazian emergency doctor was successfully trained in Tbilisi, I decided to send three more doctors and one driver to get acquainted with how the ambulance works. They got the training and returned to Abkhazia. Those who try to make a scandal out of this and exaggerate are also working hard disrupt the contract. If we can’t bring the offered ambulance to Abkhazia, it will be a tragedy- we need these cars, we don’t own the specialized equipment installed in them, and they cost more than 50,000 Euros. And if we have them here, I guess the number of people travelling for medical treatment to Tbilisi will decrease,” he said.

Abkhaz bloggers are always irritated when on the internet and social media we highlight the fact that modern Abkhazia is a “Puppet State of Moscow.” The irritation of the separatist government is understandable, but the constant annoyance of the bloggers is more noteworthy, since it is more sincere, but paradoxical as they should clearly see for themselves all the facts which confirm this puppetry even in such crucial aspects as healthcare.

By Zaza Jgarkava