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Ninotsminda Hospital - Without Central Heating in Winter

January 28, 2008

It is intolerable frosts in Ninotsminda now. The majority of population suffers from different diseases caused by cold, but they refuse to go to hospital.

"I could not walk for two weeks; I was bounded to bed. Then I went to Yerevan to my son. He took me to the doctor. It turned out that I had a complicated form of pneumonia as I had not taken proper medical treatment here; but I could not go to the frozen hospital. I caught cold twice at hospital. It is as cold in the hospital as outside. Even a healthy person can get ill after visiting the hospital", says Ripsine Kspoiani.

When the temperature fell down dramatically, electric ovens were installed at the Ninotsminda hospital and maternity house. Other departments are not heated.

Expenses for the central heating in hospital were not prefigured in the local budget of 2007, because the hospital is to be transformed into a self-funded institution and expenses shall be paid from their income.

Aleksan Pogosian, doctor in chief of Ninotsminda hospital explained that they can not work independently yet because they do not have good conditions to offer to their patients.

220 tones of coal is necessary to supply the hospital with central-heating, and the total price amounts to 40 000 lari.

Suren Mosoian, head of Ninotsminda Municipality said that the Georgian Ministry of Finance had lifted the responsibility of purchasing fuel for the hospital from the Municipality government. Mosoian stated they can pay only electricity bills for the medical establishment.

Pogosian names the fall down of temperature as the reason for the decrease in patients' number in Ninotsminda hospital.

“A patient will definitely get frozen if s/he has to take off while being examined at the hospital", said Larisa Altuniani, a resident of Ninotsminda.

In early 1990s this hospital was among several establishments that had the central heating, although, lack of finances made this system ineffective. The hospital does not have any money to repair the building and renew the system.     

Thus many inhabitants of local community go to Akhalkalaki, Tbilisi or Armenia to take medical treatment.

Egine Arutinian, the resident of Ninotsminda, said that local hospital does not have equipments for first aid either.

"If we need operation or medical analyses we go to Akhalkalaki or Gukasiani. If more serious incidents to Yerevan or Giumra", said Egina.

The head of Ninotsminda Municipality mentioned that hospital does not have qualified doctors.

"I can tell you that the majority of patients go to Akhalkalaki. Why?-Because doctors have licenses there. They are therapists and surgeons and can treat patients properly", said Mosoian. 

"Coal for 40 000 lari cost will not do much good for the hospital that works until 11-12 PM? It will be cold anyway. Nothing will be changed regardless it is heated or not", added he.

"For the present time there are all necessary conditions to treat patients in the policlinic and the maternity house, but as for surgery department it is closed. There no adequate conditions and the floor is damaged", said Ervand Savoian, the specialist for Public Health Department of Ninotsminda Municipality Board.

The head of Ninotsmionda Municipality Board reported that money has been transferred from the central budget whiting the Presidential Program; the money will be spent to buy equipments for the hospital.

Suren Mosoian said that State Program “100 New Hospitals” aims to build a new medical establishment in Ninotsminda. Before the program starts in their district, the head of board intends to study the experience of Akhalkalaki hospital and introduce the same system of hospital management in Ninotsminda.

Gulo Kokhodze, Ninotsminda

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