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Children Fall Sick of Bronchial Asthma in Adjara

July 25, 2007

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Children from Adjara Region fall sick of Bronchial Asthma very often. According to the official statistics, nearly 1 700 children are ill with chronic inflammation of bronchial tube only in Batumi. Representatives of the Allergic Center within the Adjara Healthcare Republic Center do not deny that more children might fall ill of the disease. Specialists say that the Asthma is incurable illness so far and its treatment is too expensive. Extremely impoverished families cannot visit hospitals at all.

Non-governmental organization, Human Rights Center (HRIDC) got interested in the problem since several citizens applied to the center regarding the problem. 

Most of them said that despite their poverty they could not involve Poverty Reduction State Program. Consequently they cannot receive free medical aid from the government, though they have children who are ill of Bronchial Asthma. The families cannot afford the medicines to take treatment.

”I visited Batumi Hospital several times to examine my child and they demanded 100 lari for medical examination that I could not pay. I applied to the government for assistance but nobody paid attrition to me. They told me many people had similar problem and they could not assist me. I have two little children and I am very poor. I have sold out everything valuable from my house. Now neighbors are helping me. Very often I think to commit a suicide but what will my children do then; they do not have any relative except me…My house and its location is not good enough to sell the estate,” said thirty-one-year-old Tamar, who preferred to remain anonymous.

Representatives from the Allergic Center within the Batumi Mother and Children Healthcare Republic Center confirmed that the disease of Bronchial Asthma is more frequent among children than among adults. “Over 1 000 patients are registered at the moment. They take regular treatment that is too expensive. Those people are very poor. As for statistics, 1 700 children are ill of Asthma only in Batumi and their number reaches 3 thousand throughout the Adjara region. The number of sick children is too great for Batumi. In 2005 people sick of Asthma were examined and treated within the program supported by the Adjara Healthcare Ministry. Although the patients received medicines for free, nowadays the program is not implemented any longer. Now English is carrying out the project that envisages supplying the people with medicaments at 35% discount of the price. The patients have to pay only 67 lari for the medicine,” said Vakhtang Beridze, the director of the Allergic Center, doctor-allergist.

Specialists think that the reason for the prevalence of the disease is dampness of the Adjara Region. However, Doctor Beridze does not agree with the opinion. 

The HRIDC got in touch with the Adjara Healthcare Ministry to find out the reason why they did not continue the program for the sick patients. Lela Surmanidze, the Head of the Healthcare Department, said in her conversation with us, the Batumi Allergic Center within the Mothers and Children’s Healthcare Republic Center could not assimilate part of the apportioned fund within the program. “It is their problem. They should have assimilated the fund and spent it. I cannot tell you anything else because I am new on this position. Unfortunately, the disease is really widely spread in Batumi,” said Surmanidze over the phone. Despite our demand, neither she nor the board of the Department for Program Management and Analysis gave us information about the program budget.

Vakhtang Beridze does not deny that the fund was not assimilated completely. However, he added that it was the fault of the Ministry. “This question cannot be disused over the phone. The Ministry announced tender in May.  They started the program in July and how could I assimilate the fund apportioned for 12 months within 5 months,” asked Beridze.

Representatives of the Allergic Center unofficially stated that the health conditions of several children, who are sick of Bronchial Asthma, are quite serious. “Sick children are mostly from impoverished families. Consequently, they cannot take proper treatment and unfortunately die of the disease.”

Gela Mtivlishvili, Adjara

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