During the pandemic, residents of the isolated Gali district are deprived of quality medical care and access to vital services.

According to the information the Democracy Research Institute was provided with, the hospital of the village of Saberio in the Gali district has almost run out of the medicines supply. The crisis is exacerbated by the tightening of quarantine measures, the closure of checkpoints and the restriction of freedom of movement, making it impossible to send medicines from Georgian-controlled territory.

According to DRI’s contact person, Saberio Hospital does not have important equipment, such as ultrasound and X-ray machine, dosimeter, for diagnosing patients and providing quality medical care. The situation is aggravated by the fact that in many cases, due to the malfunction of the ambulance, the medical staff is unable to arrive on time, which in some cases can be fatal.

Accelerated opening of the hospital[1] in Rukhi as part of the first steps taken to prevent coronavirus infection and the readiness of the Government of Georgia to receive Abkhazia’s patients is commendable. However, it should be noted that at the next stage, the anti-crisis plan[2] presented in the state of emergency did not take into account the needs of the population living in the occupied territories and the steps to be taken to help them.

The Democracy Research Institute calls on Georgian authorities to use all available means, including the involvement of international organizations, to provide the medical facility in the village of Saberio in the Gali district with medicines supplies and special medical equipment during the pandemic.

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The project "Supporting Human Rights Protection at Front Line" is implemented with the financial support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED).

[1] At this stage, Rukhi Hospital will receive 72 patients, http://szs.gov.ge/geo/news/show/10/2892

[2] Phase II of the anti-crisis socio-economic plan - targeted social assistance to citizens, https://www.moh.gov.ge/ka/news/5087/antikrizisuli-socialur-ekonomikuri-gegmis-II-etapi---miznobrivi-socialuri-daxmareba-moqalaqeebs