The ‘hundred new hospitals’ pledge reconfirmed

During his meeting with the Christian Democrats Parliamentary faction Minister of Health Protection Aleksandre Kvitashvili reconfirmed the state’s commitment to build a hundred new hospitals. Though none of these hospitals had been built by the end of 2008 the Minister promised that they would be by 2010-2011.

The Health Ministry assumes that in 2 years new hospitals will be built, mostly in Tbilisi. Twenty-five hospitals will be built by Czech-Georgian joint venture Block Georgia. The Ministry believes that it is easier to build new hospitals than to rehabilitate old ones. They estimate that providing new facilities will not make medical service more expensive.

Investors will be obliged to comply with certain conditions. They must build and equip the hundred hospitals but in return they will be given the old buildings currently occupying the sites which they could use for their own purposes. The investor should not touch existing buildings until he has offered new facilities.

The hospital programme will provide 4,185 beds in Tbilisi and 3,615 in the regions.