Kouchner Returns to Motivate Georgian Health Care Sector

Board chairperson of Global Alliance, Bernard Kouchner, visited Georgia for the second time this year to share his medical experience. Kouchner met representatives of Georgia’s public sector and medical NGOs.

He welcomed the Georgian government’s great effort and initiative towards developing and strengthening Georgia’s primary health care sector.

“Today, primary healthcare is one of the priorities of the Georgian government and the Ministry of Health is actively cooperating with Global Alliance on working out programs. Strengthening primary healthcare is the most vital aspect.”

Kouchner said that those international recommendations provided by Global Alliance are very important but mentioned that the involvement of Georgian experts in the process is no less vital and that recommendations need to be adapted to Georgia, with the country eventually adopting a plan to increase the motivation of primary health care doctors.

Bernard Kouchner held his meetings at the National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) with representatives of the Ministry of Health and doctors.

Director of the NCDC, Amiran Gamkrelidze, also attended the meeting and made some comments in this regard.

“We are trying to implement primary health care reform for the third time. The first conception was worked out in the 90s which was the adoption of the United Kingdom’s model. The second attempt was in 2002-2003, when The World Bank initiated a reform. The main thing now is that we must implement this reform more successfully that previous ones.”

Gamkrelidze commented on Bernard Kouchner’s visit and said that his remarks and recommendations are very important but that further development in part depends on increased financing- Georgia needs minimum 5% of GDP to reach its goals.

Ketevan Didebulidze