A Decade of Healthcare Reform in Georgia: A Look at the Funding of Private Clinics

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili recently announced that private medical clinics have received almost 6.8 billion GEL (approximately $2 billion USD) from the state's universal healthcare program over the past 10 years. This marks a significant increase in funding for private clinics. 

Gharibashvili highlighted the importance of the state's investment in private clinics, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 1 billion GEL was allocated to compensate private clinics for treating patients during the pandemic, which proved to be a vital source of support for the healthcare sector.

The Prime Minister also noted that the state has allocated 350 million GEL for referral services over the last 10 years. Out of this amount, 50 million GEL has been used to finance the treatment of Georgian citizens abroad, with an additional 25 million GEL allocated by the Solidarity Fund. In total, 75 million GEL has been spent on the treatment of Georgian citizens abroad.

Despite these significant investments, the Prime Minister emphasized that the biggest challenge now is to ensure quality healthcare services are available to all citizens. While progress has been made in this area, there is still a long way to go.

Gharibashvili expressed gratitude to the healthcare professionals who have worked tirelessly to provide medical care to citizens, and underscored the need for continued cooperation between the government and the medical community to improve the quality of healthcare services in Georgia.