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Widow of Dead Soldier vs Ministry of Defense

April 27, 2009

Tea Tedliashvili, Gori

Jumber Kvariantashvili, a forty-three year old soldier, served in the Khoni military base. He died several months before the war in August war, 2008. Liana Guliashvili, his widow, stated that Kvariantashvili hurt his leg during military trainings. After the trauma he was treated at Gori hospital but his health condition did not improve and unfortunately the soldier died.

Liana Guliashvili, the soldier’s widow said: “The incident is being investigated and the process has been extremely prolonged. I applied to the Ministry of Defense and they said the death certificate says that heart-attack is estimated to be the reason for the death of my husband; so they claimed it had nothing to do with the leg-trauma and therefore the family did not deserve any compensation.” According to the widow the soldier was operated for menisci at the Gori Hospital and he was dismissed from the hospital soon after the stitches were removed. Although 10 ultra violet rays were prescribed only 3 were done.

Guliashvili said: “When I asked the doctor he used to calm me by saying my husband was out of danger. Three ultra violet rays were done on my husband and then he was dismissed from hospital. The doctors claimed further medical treatment was not necessary. However, my husband’s leg still was swollen. The doctor assured me it would soon pass away and he could return to his ordinary life-style again. He issued medical form N 100 which we had to provide to the military unit in order to get 60-day sick-leave.”

The commander called the soldier after he had left the hospital and warned that he would be fined with 1,600 GEL unless he went back to his unit. Kvariantashvili had to go to Khoni. He hired a car with the support of the neighbors and went to the military unit. He signed the protocol on his arriving in the unit and then was allowed to leave the unit. The soldier had left Gori for Khoni at 6:00 pm and then arrived back home in Gori at 3:00 am.

Liana Guliashvili said: “The journey seriously complicated his wound. It later was explained to me that he had to keep his leg up at the height of 21 centimeters. The doctor said he could return to his ordinary life-style and we did not bother about his journey. When he returned home his bandage was all bloody. We did not have money to visit a doctor. The traumatologist had told me the leg would soon be cured and I relied on his words. However, the wound was worsening day by day. I called the ambulance early in the morning on Sunday, June 22. I asked them to take my husband to the hospital since he had been operated there. I went to the hospital by the car of my neighbor and I found out that my husband had been taken to another hospital in Gori. The doctor said it was late and thrombi had started and my husband died one hour later. I was shocked and there was nobody who could assist me. My elder son is 10 and the second is 9. We put balsam on my husband’s body at home because the doctor did not tell me expertise was necessary to determine the cause of death. Everybody knew he was soldier and somebody should have suggested to me that I had to ask for expertise to determine the cause of death. When I saw the death certificate the reason for his death was heart attack. After that I was refused permission to have experts carry out an examination because of balsam. I requested alternative expertise but we could not manage it because of the war in August, 2008. Now it is too late for the alternative expert examination.”

The Ministry of Defense did not acknowledge the professional trauma and consequent death of the soldier because the death certificate of Kvariantashvili states the cause of the death was heart attack. Consequently, the family was not granted compensation. The widow has appealed to the Prosecutor’s Office and asks for help. She blamed investigator Zurab Tetunashvili for indifference and stated that he prolongs the investigation. The doctor of the late soldier refuses to be interrogated.

“When Jumberi was taken to hospital doctor Imedo Khutsishvili was on duty. He promised to give testimony to the investigator if the latter meets him but the investigator has not visited the hospital yet. The doctor explained that the thrombi might have resulted from the wound that later ended with heart attack. However, this explanation was given orally to me,” said Liana Guliashvili.

Nukri Jokhadze, head doctor of the Gori hospital, explained that Liana Guliaswhvili has not filed any complaints to their hospital. “This person should file a complaint to our hospital and we will reply to her in written form as well. The widow might be right, though nobody has ever died after the menisci operation. She should appeal to the prosecutor’s office and I will be involved in the investigation,” said Nukri Jokhadze.

Guliashvili lives in the village of Dzevera together with her little children. Their house was damaged during the war. However, neither the government nor NGOs have assisted them. “Nobody has given us either window glass or roof plates; the walls are seriously damaged--they are separated from each other, but nobody has assisted us,” said Liana Guliashvili.

Liana Guliashvili has cancer and is unable to take care of her family. Her 9-year-old daughter has problems with breathing and needs medical treatment.

Tamar Muralova, representative of the Dzevera village to the district municipality board, stated that a special commission already has started an examination of those houses which were damaged during the war but were not repaired at the first stage.

“As for window glass there were so much glass brought to the village that there was enough for everybody to go to the council and take what they needed.  This family might not have come to the council building to get glass. An additional commission is working in the former buffer zone and is registering the damaged houses,” said Tamar Muralova.

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