The President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili discussed issues regarding insurance investment together with the ministers at the residence in Avlabari. The representatives of medical insurance companies and NGOs attended the meeting as well.

"My dream previously and then a will of the president was to implement health insurance program in Georgia.

Whatever the insurance companies did lately is a real step forward. Insurance companies fulfill huge civil function for Georgian society.

Practically we fully change the interaction culture between society, private sector and medical society. This marked developed quite well in Georgia. We used to hear during several years that we had problem in this sphere, state insurance program did not work, because we did not have financial support. Of course there are some serious problems that are connected to the relations with your customers within your companies. There is no sophisticated system, there always are some problems.

There are many stories, which include problems and successes. So we need refinement.

In the beginning of January there were some problems regarding financing of clinics and we together with you decided to implement 5 GEL insurance package initiative. Everything is calculated here.

Our joint mission is to provide this package. It is important for us that this package will give people stimulus for insurance but also the doctors, clinics, health centers would get stimulus for more income.

We have to understand that doctors, who work on 40 or even 140 GEL aren't able to offer high quality service to the population.

We must help the doctors and the patients simultaneously.

Our mission is propaganda - people must know that they have to pay annually - about 20 GEL - is very low, but the benefit of this amount is very high.

People who are beneath the edge of poverty were already insured by the state, now we have to take care of those people who are over the edge of poverty. This insurance will be beneficiary for them from the economic point of view. This package will be suitable for the family with highest incomes too. In total this will support the development of healthcare in Georgia.

Each citizen of Georgia is in economically tough situation. In these conditions stress grows a lot and accordingly the problems of healthcare increases. So some families could even be destroyed because of such problems. So we are now talking about the prevention of such problems together with you. It could be hard to talk about it two, three years ago.

Now we all have to be transformed on the cultural relations for people to survive crisis.

Our aim is to work together - machinations, jeopardizing of the system will not be allowed. The state will do everything in support of people. Relations between people and companies must be established.

I want to ask you to cooperate, we will create the monitoring group, I will myself participate and control this new investments. I will listen to the reports of the ministers on the weekly basis, on how our new social initiative is going on for the sake of our citizen.

I have a hope in you. You are one of the biggest support of today's economy", stated Mikheil Saakashvili.

Press Office
of the President of Georgia