Georgian Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze has said the Prime Minister’s initiative on drug substitution therapy programmes is “fully relevant” to society’s needs and represents an “unambiguously positive project” that provides “no grounds for speculation”.

The minister was responding to legislative changes proposed by the Prime Minister that would ban private entities from implementing substitution therapy programmes, with the state taking full responsibility for replacement treatment.

Sarjveladze said no citizen requiring substitution therapy would be left without proper treatment and services.

“The state takes responsibility for this. At the same time, the state takes responsibility to ensure that when delivering this service, the standards necessary for public safety are maximally protected,” he said. “This is not just a commendable and good initiative, but quite an ambitious project that will unambiguously bring benefit to society.”

The minister noted that the programme’s design would remain unchanged under the reforms.

“Not a single patient who needs psychotropic medications will be left without therapeutic drugs. There will be strict control over their distribution,” Sarjveladze stated.

He added that society would “quickly see and support the positive results that will follow this initiative very soon.”