Doctors VS Director

Gela Mtivlishvili, Kakheti

“Salary arrears; director rented out reanimobile of the hospital to his deputy’s husband who used it as a catafalque; the director instructed the personnel not to keep patients in hospital unless their conditions are not grave; deficiency of medical supply in hospital; illegal deals with insurance companies to gain main,” it is incomplete list of accusations of the doctors from Gurjaani district hospital against director Gela Orvelashvili.

Doctors rose against Orvelashvili last week and requested him to make all financial documents public. We interviewed several doctors and they requested to keep their names anonymous. However, they said they intend to set up an initiative group in near future in order to officially request resignation of the director.

The doctors said they got interested in financial activities of the institution after administration did not pay salaries to them during several months. Two days ago, the head of the mediation service office of the Ministry of Healthcare Guram Kereselidze met them and promised to pay salaries. Yesterday, the doctors received salaries only for June.

Doctors also complain about the hospital pharmacy, which is mostly closed and patients, including beneficiaries of poverty reduction state program, have to bring medicines from outside. They said two months before the director instructed them not to keep insured patients in hospitals unless their conditions are very grave. “Thus, insurance companies save money. The service in outpatients will cost much cheaper for them. So, we think, Orvelashvili had a deal with insurance companies. We really refused several patients to stay in hospital and their health conditions worsened as a result,” said the doctors.

Another complaint is about the reanimobile. The hospital director rented out the reanimobile to the husband of his deputy Marina Natsauri; the former MP Nika Kvezereli had assigned the car to the hospital as a present. Natsauri’s husband uses the car as a catafalque and the patients have to order reanimobiles from Telavi or Tbilisi hospitals that cost much more expensive for them.

The doctors allege Gela Orvelashvili works as a rabies specialist too. Before occupying this position, his predecessor received salary of 70-80 GEL per month but Orvelashvili receives 500 GEL and more.

The doctors claim that although the hospital has had problems for the last few years and has not had any profit, Gela Orvelashvili managed to purchase several flats meanwhile.

Patients have also complained about Orvelashvili. Information Center of Kakheti has several materials in its archive to prove it.

In the spring of 2011, 52-year old Anzor Datukishvili was not allowed to leave the hospital. The surgeon Misha Zveriashvili stated that the state of patient is satisfactory after the surgery and he should be released from the hospital but the director of the hospital Gela Orvelashvili requested 1600 GEL from the patient. The patient’s spouse asked the journalists for help. After preparing the video reportage, Anzor Datukishvili was released from the hospital.

As we found out one more such fact occurred a month ago. The ambulance brigade brought a severely injured, unconscious lady to the hospital. One person died in the car after the accident, this lady’s condition was severe and she was placed in the reanimation. Soon the ambulance was called. After the brigade came to Gurjaani, Gela Orvelashvili told the husband of the injured lady that if he did not pay 324 GEL the price of the service they would not be allowed to transfer patient to Tbilisi. Orvelashvili let the ambulance transfer the patient after the involvement of the leadership of the region.

It should be noted that exact such fact took place not too long ago. The deputy director of Kardenakhi public school who got hit by the car was placed in the regional hospital. The injured was in severe unconscious state. However, the ambulance brigade was not called until the leadership of the region took measures. In this case as well the relatives of the injured were requested to pay for the rendered service. However, the injured had a teacher’s insurance. After transferring to Tbilisi the teacher died.

Gela Orvelashvili denies the accusations. “These are all lies. The pharmacy of the hospital works all the time. As for the reanimation ambulance, that you wrote was rented out for transferring the dead, it has been brought here and is standing the yard. The car is completely damaged and we cannot use it any longer. I work as a rabies specialist and pay a GEL for a vaccine. I have one apartment in Gurjaani, one in Tbilisi. I have not bought any other apartments. These are all lies,” – stated Orvelashvili.

Gela Orvelashvili: - What did I do?

Journalist: - What kind of question is that?

Gela Orvelashvili: - Why are you writing these kinds of things about me?

Journalist: - Numerous doctors raised these accusations against you. It is our duty to cover it.

Gela Orvelashvili: - I do not know what I did to you.

Journalist: - It is bad if you think that we are writing because you did something bad to us.

According to our information, the finance police showed interest in the work of hospital last year and the investigation started. However, Gela Orvelashvili had a heart surgery at that time and the investigation stopped.