“The meeting made one thing absolutely clear: we are unequivocally committed to finding solutions as quickly and effectively as possible; solutions that will genuinely benefit every individual patient,” said Georgia’s Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze, speaking to journalists following the meeting with parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy at the Government Administration.
He added that discussions with the parents on the outstanding issues will continue in the very near future.
“This meeting was unambiguously worthwhile. From the very first days of the protest, and indeed before it began, our position has been that working closely with parent organisations and with the parents themselves is of the utmost importance. It is always essential to speak with the very people whom any new decision is meant to serve. As for the decisions themselves, work will naturally be required; there is no other alternative, and we have been saying so from the outset. The issues raised by these parents are deeply important and require our utmost priority. Decisions on these matters are not straightforward; we are dealing with four separate drugs, each at a very different stage of approval and potential. As I mentioned earlier, two of these medications are more straightforward, while the others present far greater complications. All of this requires thorough analysis, careful judgement about what needs to be prioritised, and decisions taken accordingly. In that respect, this was a notably productive, substantive and important meeting.
We also discussed the issue of certain politicians attempting to exploit this situation inappropriately. It was emphasised clearly that we are wholly committed to finding solutions as swiftly and effectively as possible, solutions that will make a genuine difference for every patient.
We will meet again in the very near future, and the deliberations will continue. The moment a decision is ready to be taken, it will be taken without any delay whatsoever. But for that to happen, the decision itself must first be properly prepared. Our next meetings will focus on progressing this work, assessing current progress at each stage, and establishing the most effective frameworks for ongoing communication. Every decision will be made based on one criterion alone: what is most beneficial for the patients whom all of this is ultimately meant to serve,” said Minister Sarjveladze.
