Former Minister of Health and healthcare expert Andria Urushadze sharply criticized the country’s current healthcare policies and the government’s handling of medicine access for children with rare diseases.
Speaking on TV program Analytics, he emphasized that the core principle of universal healthcare is ensuring that no patient, especially a child, is left outside the system, yet Georgia still fails to take essential steps that many countries adopted long ago.
Urushadze noted that despite years passing since the issue first emerged, the state remains unprepared to respond effectively. According to him, the absence of a medical technology assessment system, lack of transparent negotiations with pharmaceutical producers, and insufficient partnership with other countries significantly delay life-saving decisions.
“Healthcare cannot exist without solidarity,” he said, stressing that society - as taxpayers and stakeholders - must be involved in policymaking, and the government must take public opinion seriously.
The former minister also stated that he does not believe indifferent people are working in the ministry, and he assumes the minister genuinely wants a solution. However, he pointed out that decision-makers often lack proper competence, rely on incorrect information, or misinterpret international practices. He criticized claims questioning the effectiveness of medicines widely used abroad as “unprofessional at best,” emphasizing that many countries follow clear timelines and procedures that balance clinical benefits with cost-effectiveness.
Urushadze concluded that bureaucratic hurdles in other countries should not be used as an excuse to deny treatment to Georgian patients. He underscored that the final decision on therapy rests with doctors, and if the state has even minimal financial capacity and there is any reasonable hope for the patient, authorities are obligated to act. “Instead of building barriers, we must find solutions - especially when children’s lives are at stake,” he said.
