Poti Faces the Risk of Epidemics

Poti faces the risk of Hepatitis A. The number of sick people is gradually increasing at the Hospital for Infection. Ninety percent of patients are from the Kundzuli District in Poti. Epidemiologists think the source of the infection is polluted water. They also say that the situation is not currently urgent. However, the threat is aggravated by the fact that the disease has a one-month incubation period.

Guranda Tevzadze, doctor at the Poti Central Clinic, said that people with hepatitis have been applying to their clinic for 25 days already. “Nearly 25 patients have applied to us. Most of them say that they were infected from drinking water that is supplied every two days. When the water pipe empties, it’s easier for bacteria to grow in the system.

Patients cannot be treated at the hospital, so they are treated at home. Such kind of treatment is financed by the local government. “Our hospital is currently being repaired, and we are in another building for now. We cannot keep patients over at night because of insufficient facilities. We treat sick people during the day; they come to us in the morning. We give them medicines, and they go home in the evening,” said Tevzadze. She said that the number of the infected people is higher than those who are registered at the hospital. Some people are treating the disease at home with traditional medicines.

Sofo Gobechia lives in Kundzuli District, and she is one of the many who has visited the hospital. She claims that she was infected from drinking water… “Initially, my mother had a high temperature. I am a doctor myself and I thought she had some virus. So I started to give her antibiotics but there was no result. Later I heard that A Hepatitis was spread in our block, we took analysis and the results showed that my mother had infection. The source of the disease is water that is full of bacteria. We do not have water for five days so it is too difficult to look after our sick mother. Relatives take our clothes home, they wash them for us, and then bring back,” said Gobechia who added that hepatitis is a serious problem for Foti and urges the government to pay attention to them.

Tsira Daushvili, the head of the Laboratory Research Centre, said that “the reason of the disease is polluted water; the number of bacteria in drinking water is higher than is allowed.”

Vladimer Mskhiladze, director of TskalKanali (Waterworks), claims the opposite. “We keep a special journal at the office where we indicate the quality of water in every district. We have not detected bacterial problems in any of districts,” said Mskhiladze.

Severian Shengelia, the head of the City Health Department, said that “the situation is not so urgent, though we should be attentive.

Epidemiologists said that disinfection of the pipes should be carried out in order to prevent epidemics. It is impossible to disinfect the pipes at present because no one claims responsibility for this in Poti.

Nana Sajaia, Poti