"We plan to increase the salaries of rural doctors by 30% from next month as well as the salaries of nurses. We also started building dispensaries and 82 dispensaries will be built by the end of the year."
Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili talked about the news in the health care sector at his meeting with doctors in the Imereti region on 3 May 2014. The Prime Minister stated the following: "We plan to increase the salaries of rural doctors by 30% starting from next month as well as the salaries of nurses. We are planning to construct clinics in the near future as well as rehabilitate clinics in the regions and equip them with modern medical equipment. We also started building dispensaries and 82 dispensaries will be built by the end of the year."
FactChecktook interest in the Prime Minister’s statement and verified the accuracy of the facts stated by Gharibashvili.
The Rural Doctors’ State Programme aims at increasing the population’s geographical access to and financial affordability of primary health care services. Georgia’s rural population and people registered at specially-funded facilities are the beneficiaries of the Rural Doctors’ State Programme.
Rural-based doctors provide outpatient medical services to the population while also ensuring the provision of necessary medicines and medical goods needed for urgent outpatient services. Services provided by the Rural Doctors’ State Programme do not require co-payment by the patient.
Previously, a rural doctor was receiving GEL 500 monthly for providing the abovementioned services and a nurse was getting GEL 350. According to the Government of Georgia’s Resolution N92 of 15 March 2012, private operator companies (health insurance organisations) were providing rural doctor services. The Government of Georgia’s Decree N165 of 7 May 2012 determined the co-financing principle for rural doctor services. The share of the insurance organisations (in their districts of insurance) in the co-financing was equal to 25% in 2012. According to the same Decree, their share in the co-financing should have been 50% in 2013, 75% in 2014 and 100% in 2015.
Later, amendments were made to the funding system. According to the Government of Georgia’s Decree N397 of 31 December 2013, the current model of financing has been changed since 1 January 2014 and the Social Services Agency is financing the services provided by the Rural Doctors’ State Programme.
According to the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, funding for the services of rural doctors and nurses has increased by 30% since 1 May 2014. Accordingly, the cost for the rural doctor’s services is equal to GEL 650 monthly and GEL 455 for nurses. In addition, the Ministry provides rural doctors with medical documentation and a doctor’s bag (which includes necessary medications for outpatient services and medical goods) as a one-time issue. Subsequently, rural doctors will purchase the necessary medicines for renewing their inventory at favourable prices.
In most cases, rural doctors are private individuals who are not represented as employees of any kind of dispensary. They have to pay rent and utility bills from their own salaries. According to the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs, rural doctors will become employees of dispensaries in the near future. Accordingly, they will thereafter be exempted from paying rent and utility bills.
FactCheckalso took interest in the part of the Prime Minister’s statement which concerned the infrastructural plans. The construction of dispensaries was determined by the Government of Georgia’s ordinance of 26 August 2013. According to the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, 82 dispensaries will be built by the end of the year. At this point, dispensaries have been built and equipped in 19 villages and work in this direction is being implemented in 63 villages.
As the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs explained to FactCheck,the construction/equipment of an emergency medical care clinic is being implemented in the village of Tkviavi. In addition, the construction of a multi-profiled university clinic is planned in the village of Rukhi in the Zugdidi Municipality. At this stage, the project is under development. Improvement of hospital infrastructure and facilities is also planned for those hospitals which were established with 100% state funding.
Conclusion
Since 1 May 2014 the funding for rural doctor services has increased by 30%. At this point, the salary of a rural doctor is equal to GEL 650 and GEL 455 for nurses. In addition, the Ministry provides rural doctors with medical documentation and a doctor’s bag (which includes necessary medications for outpatient services and medical goods) as a one-time issue. Subsequently, rural doctors will purchase the necessary medicines for renewing their inventory at favourable prices.
At this point, dispensaries have been built and equipped in 19 villages and work in this direction is being implemented in 63 villages. According to the Ministry of Labour, Health and Social Affairs of Georgia, 82 dispensaries will be built by the end of the year.
FactCheck concludes that Prime Minister Irakli Gharibashvili’s statement, "We plan to increase the salaries of rural doctors by 30% from next month as well as the salaries of nurses. We also started building dispensaries and 82 dispensaries will be built by the end of the year," is TRUE.Originally published in The Financial, issue N. 28 (408)
