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On January 26, the staff of the N. Kipshidze Central University Clinic of the Tbilisi State Medical University, one of the largest medical facilities in Georgia commonly referred to as the Central Republican Hospital, held a rally at the Ministry of Health to protest the government’s decision to demolish the hospital. The gathered are demanding that the government’s demolition decision be revoked. The personnel reject the government’s compensation options.
The clinic employees held two consecutive protests in the clinic’s courtyard on January 25 and 26. The clinic staff say they are not against rehabilitation per se, but fear that the Central Republican Hospital may be abolished altogether. The medical staff are also skeptical about the government’s promise of the new clinic. They’re worried that the government will use the land for other purposes. They also think the government may be trying to stop the protest by offering “an unprecedented compensation.” The protesting doctors say the government must guarantee their participation in decisions about the hospital’s future.
“We were expecting rehabilitation, not reorganization,” said one of the doctors at the protest.
Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili offered to meet the hospital staff and answer their questions. However, the protesters had refused to meet with the minister until the decision is revoked. Despite that, earlier today the Ministry claimed that its representatives met with some of the representatives of the Republican Clinic and answered their questions regarding compensation. According to Giorgi Enukidze, the acting director of Georgian National Holding, which manages the state-run clinics, the meeting was held with “several individuals who found time.”
On January 22, the Georgian government announced its decision to demolish the building of the Republican Clinic. The Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili said the current building cannot be repaired due to its condition and is to be demolished. In its place, according to the Prime Minister, a new “multidisciplinary, high-tech medical institution…a new Republican Hospital” is planned to be built.
The prime minister also promised that all employees would be offered either “unprecedented honorable compensation” or alternative employment.
According to the Ministry of Health, the employees must choose one of the following options within the two weeks’ time.
- Any employee who works only in the Republican Hospital will receive a one-off compensation equal to 12 months salary;
- If the hospital worker also works in another institution, he/she will receive 4 months’ salary as compensation;
- For medical staff who refuse to apply for 12 months’ compensation, the Ministry of Health will offer employment in the same position in another medical clinic and compensation of 4 months’ salary;
- Medical staff who do not work in another institution and the Ministry cannot offer them alternative employment, will be paid a monthly salary for 3 years until they are employed.
The article may be updated…
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On January 26, Transparency International-Georgia, an anti-corruption watchdog, had updated its list of alleged high-level corruption cases. The list is regularly updated to reflect the situation of high-level corruption in Georgia and includes information on specific cases.
The current list includes 164 alleged cases of high-level corruption, where at least 169 high-level public officials can be identified, including 13 judges, 30 members of the Parliament, prime minister, ex-prime minister, ministers and their deputies (29 individuals), as well as 56 local government officials.
Introducing the list, the TI-Georgia notes that although “Georgia is characterized by impressively low levels of petty corruption,” there is almost “total impunity for high-level corruption.” In addition, the watchdog says that the country is experiencing the ultimate form of corruption, which is the “state capture.”
TI-Georgia cites Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), according to which “the influence of the ruling party’s founder over key institutions meets the definition of state capture.”
Moreover, it also notes that “the nature and scope of the cases of alleged high-level corruption and the increasing number of these cases point to an alarming conclusion that high-level corruption in Georgia is taking the form of “kleptocracy,” where officials systematically use political power to appropriate the country’s wealth and undermine all critical voices, including political opposition, media and civil society.”
According to the TI-Georgia, although the local civil society, international assessments, public opinion polls, investigative journalists and non-governmental organizations expose the alleged cases of high-level corruption, the responsible bodies such as the Prosecutor’s Office and the State Security Service, often fail to respond effectively, especially when the cases are linked to the ruling party.
“Even though according to Georgian legislation an investigator or prosecutor is obliged to initiate an investigation upon notification of the commission of a crime, alleged cases of corruption reported regularly by Transparency International Georgia are also left without a response,” – the watchdog says.
Recommendation
In order to effectively curb the high-corruption, experts recommend transferring corruption investigation powers to an independent agency, as urged by the European Parliament, European Commission, and OECD/ACN. Currently, the fight against corruption falls within the remit of the State Security Service of Georgia (SSSG) and the Prosecutor’s Office.
Latest additions to the TI-Georgia list include:
- Corruption in the Ministry of Defense, with alleged direct involvement of Minister Juansher Burchuladze and his deputy Zurab Azarashvili (revealing cases of expired products being fed to the army, as well as substandard clothing and bedding)
- Ex-Prime Minister Mamuka Bakhtadze’s real estate
- Construction business linked to MP Resan Konstselidze and conflict of interest
- GEL 335 million in contracts to a major donor to the ruling party
- Up to 2 million GEL of state purchases by the Adigeni municipal official’s family
- MP Irakli Zarkua’s blueberry business
- Business interests of the high-ranking police officer’s brother on the Kintrishi River
- Lands belonging to the 21 year-old son of the Defence Minister in the Kakheti region
- Political donations and tenders of mining companies in Imereti
- Patronage of cigarette smuggling from occupied Abkhazia by influential officials
- Property of PM Irakli Garibashvili’s mother-in-law
- Undeclared property of the Director General of the Georgian Railways state enterprise
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