Population Urge for Medical Examination in Kazreti

Manon Bokuchava, Kvemo Kartli

Population of Kazreti small town states they are sparrows but swallows have already flown to better places. Those, who had chance left houses and moved to ecologically healthier environment. 

Ecology is tough topic in Kazreti – a small town located between two ores Kazreti and Sakdrisi. Ore pit rocks are well-seen from the nine-storied residential buildings of Kazreti. Locals carefully watch ongoing explosions in the pit and say it might crack houses in Balichi village of Bolnisi district.

“People prefer to live in ecologically polluted environment to starvation. At least one member of every family in this district works for the ore and nobody supports the idea of closing it down. But we also bother about the health of population because they have more problems than residents of other districts. Women have cancer; children have goiter, asthma and allergies. Every morning I see 2-santimeters high dust on the furniture – how could it not harm our health?” Tsiuri Kharaishvili asked.

Everybody complains about ecology in Kazreti but nobody wants to speak about it loudly because of fear to lose job. In private talks they ask for medical examination of local population. People say it will show real picture of general situation about the health of local population.

Representatives of public relation service at the Company RMG, extracting the ore, underline with media that their company is very cautious with regard to ecology and do not pollute the environment. 

Years ago, doctors from Bolnisi district also spoke about negative outcomes from extracting gold in the area. In 2007, Davit Tatishvili’s Center said cancer diseases were concentrated in Bolnisi district due to current ecological situation there. Local population had urged the Center to carry out medical examination on the ground. 253 out of examined 706 women from Bolnisi had fibrosis mastopathy of breast. Soon after this information was spread, all medical centers including Tatishvili Center stopped talking about the problem.

Environmental organization Green Alternative included results of this examination in their report and mentioned one curious fact. “In 2007, Bolnisi self-government sent one letter to all medical agencies in the district and asked to release information about the topic on media only upon the agreement of the issue with local authority “in sake of district interests.”