“I have received an instruction from the Prime Minister to make decisions with the involvement of the medical community and interested stakeholders,” said Mikheil Sarjveladze, Georgia’s new Health Minister.

According to Mikheil Sarjveladze, it would take some time for him to become familiarized with the current situation in the ministry to respond to questions, speak about various programs and means how to resolve problems, among them the developments around the Republican Hospital and DRG system, a new model of financing clinics.

“We will listen to all the opinions of the medical community, and based on that, the best model will be selected that will benefit the country and each patient. The main determinant here is to protect the patient’s best interests. This is the main axis on which all subsequent decisions will be built,” said the Minister.

Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze appointed Mikheil Sarjveladze, MP of the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party as the Minister of IDPs, Labor, Health and Social Affairs on March 10.

Mikheil Sarjveladze, Chairman of the parliamentary Human Rights and Civic Integration Committee replaced Zurab Azarashvili on the position.

Zurab Azarashvili, former Georgian Minister of IDPs, Labor, Health and Social Affairs, resigned on March 1. Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze said the medical community had recently expressed discontent over communication with the Minister of Health Zurab Azarashvili.