Comparative management of primary health care reforms in Georgia

Abstract

The article - "Comparative Management of Primary Health Care Reforms in Georgia" - discusses the results of the reform implemented in the primary health care of Georgia and compares it with the results of health care reform management in 11 countries. These countries are: Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Belarus, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Romania, Ukraine, Moldova, Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan and Armenia. Despite the fact that primary health care reform was carried out everywhere by the World Health Organization ("WHO"), the World Bank and the US agency USAID, its results were different in these countries. This was caused by irregularities in the implementation of the decisions made by the reform team. The main goal of the reform was to introduce family medicine. Moldova and Kyrgyzstan were the most successful in solving this issue. In the early years, they were able to transfer medical and sanitary care facilities to family medicine. Moldova was also successful in establishing the "Rural Doctor" institution, in particular in giving the status of an individual entrepreneur to the rural doctor. This practice was partially introduced in Georgia. In Georgia, patients exercise the right to choose a specialist and a family doctor on an annual basis. Tajikistan and Kazakhstan are in the same situation. The reason for this is the lack of information about their competences. In terms of changing the status, the reform was the most effective in Georgia. The majority of primary health care facilities in Georgia have been transferred to private ownership. They were in state property until then. The article mentions that after the reform there were few primary medical care facilities left in state ownership in Georgia, and the opinion is expressed that, like the European countries, the reformers in Georgia and the Georgian government itself during the reform period should have taken care of opening non-profit medical facilities that would serve the poor population.