Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili appeared before Parliament on Thursday during a Minister’s Hour.

“The Georgian government has prioritized people’s lives and health since 2013, which served as the foundation for a historic reform, the establishment of a universal healthcare program,” Georgian Health Minister Zurab Azarashvili said at the plenary.

The Minister said that the government created the foundation for a health policy centered on population health and well-being.

“Since the program’s inception, seven billion GEL has been used to fund 11 million medical cases for three million citizens,” Azarashvili stated.

According to him, the number of services financed under the universal healthcare program has significantly increased in 2022, adding that compared to the previous year, the program budget has increased and amounts to 880 million GEL in 2023.

The Minister discussed the innovative model for financing diagnosis-related group (DRG) in medical facilities.

“This financing model has already been successfully introduced and works in Georgia,” the Minister remarked.

Azarashvili spoke about the importance of international accreditation obligations, noting that most medical institutions have actively begun preparing for it.