The President of Georgia expressed interest in the process of the “Smiling Georgia” project initiated by him. Mikheil Saakashvili spoke to the part of population which received dental services within the scope of the program. As the Head of State noted, state investment is very important in this sense, because one of the most expensive services is becoming available for the socially unprotected persons. The President later stated that the regions, which do not have dental clinics, must have more mobile clinics located in special busses travelling across the entire country. According to him, this is also important because it will assist development of the dental sphere in regions of Georgia.
“When a person has such dental problems that they lose motivation to go outside, work, smile, and moreover, the decease can spread to the entire body. This is the most expensive service and a very tough social issue because it is unaffordable for many as medical insurance covers other deceases. This program will need at least 2 years to be completed. We need to add medical busses to travel village by village. We have of course started to do this from villages, but we should also reach big cities like Tbilisi and reach out to its suburbs. In places where there are dental clinics we should take people there, and in the places where they don’t have clinics we should bring them such busses. Not many places have good dental clinics and this is why we need to reach everywhere so that the people get the results they want. This will result in development of the dental sphere and it will be easier for people to use these services. State investment is very important because each family has to have access to necessary dental services; especially those who need prosthetics. The most important thing is that our doctors are working with great love and enthusiasm” – stated the President of Georgia.
The project “Smiling Georgia” became functional on August 10th. The first service was provided to the Supsa population in the Lanchkhuti area for those over the age of 50. The program will move to Natanebi on September 6th and remain there for three weeks.
Up to 10 local specialists are involved in the program, and the population has a chance to receive therapeutic, surgery, orthopedic services aside from dental care at local clinics.
Up to 1,000 persons have already benefited within the scope of the state program.