Mayor Kaladze: We must wait for investigation into possible intoxication of kindergarten children

“We must wait for the relevant services to complete their investigation, which will, of course, be followed by an appropriate response,” Tbilisi Mayor Kakha Kaladze said regarding the reported cases of possible intoxication among children attending Tbilisi public kindergartens.

He stressed that the health and safety of every child are of fundamental importance.

“First of all, I want to wish the children a speedy recovery. I completely understand the concerns of the parents, because we are parents ourselves, and every child is special to each of us. For me personally and for my colleagues, caring for children is an enormous responsibility.

“It would be wrong for us to make definitive statements today that this is a food-related problem, or, conversely, to rule out that possibility. We must wait for the relevant services to complete their investigation, which will, of course, be followed by an appropriate response.

“We currently have more than 60,000 children attending kindergartens. It makes no difference how many children are involved. Their health and safety are of fundamental importance to us. The same approach would apply even if a single case had been identified. This demonstrates the enormous responsibility we have,” Kaladze said.

According to the mayor, numerous reforms have been implemented in Tbilisi public kindergartens in recent years to ensure children’s safety in line with international standards.

“Since 2023, we have introduced the HACCP standard, which is extremely important and allows us to maintain full control over food products, from the manufacturer and supplier all the way to the beneficiary. I state with full responsibility that no product is accepted unless we have the relevant test reports from an accredited laboratory. We do not accept any product unless the appropriate laboratory tests have been provided.

“In addition, the National Food Agency regularly inspects the products. You can see the scale of the infrastructure projects being implemented in kindergartens in recent years for our children. Particular attention is paid to food and to children’s toys, ensuring that they are environmentally safe and comply with international standards. Even bed linen receives special attention.

“So, let us wait for the results and establish what we are dealing with. We are completely open and transparent, and we will provide both parents and the public with information on everything,” the mayor said.

Kaladze also explained that tenders for food supplies for kindergarten children are announced by the State Procurement Agency, while the municipality signs contracts with the companies that win the tenders.

“First, we need to determine the cause. Believe me, every detail will become known to the public. The State Procurement Agency announces the tender for food supplies. Once the winning companies are identified, contracts are signed with them. They are required to provide laboratory test reports for each product when supplying them.

“Let us wait for the investigation to determine where the problem occurred and what caused all of this. We do not shy away from problems, nor do we shy away from responsibility. If something was done incorrectly on our part or a mistake was made, this will, of course, be followed by a very strict response. All of this will become known to the public,” the mayor said.