The Mayor of Tbilisi, Davit Narmania, discussed healthcare programmes funded within the framework of Tbilisi’s budget. According to the Mayor’s statement, healthcare programmes have been doubled. Mr Narmania stated: "This is the first time when a programme for the rehabilitation of children with the autism spectrum disorder has been launched and more than 95% of the applications which were submitted were satisfied. In total, 279 beneficiaries were funded in the amount of GEL 107,000 each. It is also the first time when a bone marrow transplant programme has been launched with patients suffering from onco-hematological diseases and leukaemia receiving full medical care within the framework of the programme. The programme funded every submitted application and each beneficiary was allotted approximately GEL 200,000."
FactChecktook interest in the accuracy of Davit Narmania’s statement.
Information from the official website of the Autism Society of Georgia, a local non-governmental organisation, indicates that autism is a developmental disorder further considered as an autism spectrum disorder.
Information about the programmes and sub-programmes carried out by Tbilisi City Hall is given in the city’s budget. The budget document indicates that the sub-programme for the rehabilitation of children with the autism spectrum disorder envisages assistance to develop their motor, cognitive, social, self-help and independence skills. For those children requiring greater assistance, the sub-programme covers the costs of complex therapy administered by a team of medical specialists to a maximum of 20 medical visits for the treatment per month. The cost of each treatment visit is GEL 21. This assistance is for citizens of Georgia within the age margin of 2 to 16 years and who are registered in Tbilisi and diagnosed with mental or behavioural disorders as given in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10).
FactCheckaddressed Tbilisi City Hall with an official letter in order to obtain detailed information on those individuals who are beneficiaries of the aforementioned sub-programme. The reply we received states that Tbilisi City Hall launched the rehabilitation sub-programme for children with the autism spectrum disorder in April 2015 with GEL 610,000 having been allocated thereto from the budget. There was a total of 426 applications submitted and registered at Tbilisi City hall with the request for funding of which 335 were satisfied. Additionally, a further 48 applicants met the criteria as prescribed by the sub-programme and are on the waiting list. As clarified by Tbilisi City Hall, beneficiaries received a total of GEL 585,081 in funding in 2015. The amount of money allocated for each individual beneficiary was GEL 1,746.
According to the 2016 Tbilisi budget, GEL 1.3 million is allocated for the rehabilitation sub-programme for children with the autism spectrum disorder (page 84 of the budget, code – 06 01 06). Of note, too, is that children with the autism spectrum disorder are also covered under the Children’s Early Development sub-programme of the Social Service Agency whose aim is to assist children with impaired developmental disabilities to facilitate their social integration. The Social Service Agency’s sub-programme target groups are children between the ages of 0to 7 years afflicted with impaired mental development to a maximum number of 480 per month and a further maximum of 335 in Tbilisi. The sub-programme’s budget is GEL 832,800.
The aforementioned bone marrow transplant programme funds bone marrow transplant, research before transplant and post-transplant rehabilitation for individuals under the age of 40 years who are diagnosed with leukaemia or other onco-hematological diseases. Tbilisi City Hall launched this programme in January 2015. The programme’s budget for 2015 was GEL 1,750,399. A total of 21 applicants registered at City Hall for assistance from the transplant programme of which 11 received funding. Tbilisi City Hall used up the programme’s budget in its entirety last year. The budget for 2016 is GEL 2 million (page 84 of the budget, code – 06 01 13).
At the present moment, 13 sub-programmes are being funded within the framework of Tbilisi’s healthcare programme budget. Of these, six sub-programmes were added in 2015-2016. As compared to 2014, the amount of money allocated for healthcare programmes has almost doubled. In 2014, the amount of money allocated for healthcare was GEL 23,568,000 whilst the combined healthcare budget for 2016 has been increased to GEL 40,390,000.
Conclusion The year 2015 was the first time when Tbilisi City Hall launched programmes and sub-programmes for the rehabilitation of children with the autism spectrum disorder and bone marrow transplant. City Hall has utilised 95% of the autism spectrum disorder sub-programme’s budget. Of the 426 applications registered at Tbilisi City Hall, 335 (which works out to 78% and not 95% as claimed by the Mayor of Tbilisi) were satisfied and each beneficiary received GEL 1,746. Therefore, Davit Narmania’s statement that each beneficiary was funded by GEL 107,000 is not correct. Considering the fact that there is a huge difference between the actual figure and the number given by the Mayor, FactCheck
does not exclude the possibility that the difference is a result of a technical error.
Of the 21 applications registered at Tbilisi City Hall for funding from the bone marrow transplant programme, 11 have been satisfied. The average amount of money spent for each beneficiary comprised GEL 159,127. Therefore, in his statement Davit Narmania gives imprecise figures concerning both the number of beneficiaries and the amount of money spent for each beneficiary.
Notwithstanding the errors in the figures (presumably because of a technical error) given by the Mayor of Tbilisi as to the number of beneficiaries and the amount of money spent within the framework of the programme and sub-programme, the statement still adequately reflects the context. Therefore, FactCheck concludes that the statement of the Mayor of Tbilisi is MOSTLY TRUE.
