A presentation was held in Parliament for the thematic inquiry report by the Health Care and Social Issues Committee on "Access to Oncological Services in Georgia and Existing Challenges".

The Chairman of Parliament, H.E. Shalva Papuashvili, addressed the participants of the event.

"Access to healthcare services is the primary area that distinguishes a state that claims to care for its citizens. There are instances where, even in economically strong states, access to healthcare services, including financial access, is not guaranteed for all citizens. We have a different approach. With economic growth and the strengthening of the state's economy, hardly a year goes by without new, essential services becoming available to our citizens at reduced prices or free of charge. This is the responsibility of a social state, which is also outlined in our constitution", - Shalva Papuashvili stated.

The Chairman also emphasized the importance of the quality of medical services and medications.

"Significant steps have been taken in this direction to ensure that today's state medical sector is radically different from what it was 10, 20, or 30 years ago. It is a matter of pride for our Parliament to have been part of this development, including supporting the government in budgetary matters. Consequently, I'm pleased to see that many new programs have been introduced in this regard", - Shalva Papuashvili remarked.

The Chairman of the Health Care and Social Issues Committee, Zaza Lominadze, noted that the number of oncological patients is increasing, and this is a significant challenge not only for Georgia but for the entire world.

"It should be noted that before starting the thematic inquiry, the government and specifically, the Ministry of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health, and Social Affairs of Georgia, together with Parliament, took several steps to increase access for our citizens, particularly to innovative medications. In this regard, Parliament adopted a special legislative act that allowed the government to purchase innovative medications at much lower prices than offered by the private pharmaceutical sector. The World Health Organization cited this fact as an example and encouraged other countries to follow Georgia's lead", - the Committee Chair noted.

Zaza Lominadze thanked the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) for their support in preparing the thematic inquiry report.

Mikheil Sarjveladze, the Minister of Internally Displaced Persons from the Occupied Territories, Labor, Health, and Social Affairs of Georgia, stated that everything is being done to ensure that each patient has better access to the critically necessary services for their health and life, aligning with the idea guaranteed by our constitution—the idea of a social state.

"I want to note that over the past five years, funding for oncology services has roughly quintupled, amounting to hundreds of millions of lari, which is very significant. However, this is not the benchmark with which we will be satisfied. This trend must continue and be maintained until we reach a point in Georgia where every patient is completely satisfied with the services provided, and there is no area that requires further improvement", - Mikheil Sarjvladze stated.

Irma Zavradashvili, a parliamentary member and the chief rapporteur of the thematic inquiry working group, emphasized that the welfare of individuals is, has been, and will be the starting point for the government.

"For the healthcare system to play a decisive role in ensuring the well-being of people, it is crucial that the system provides effective and quality services, and most importantly, these services must be accessible to everyone. The basis of the thematic inquiry was to analyze where we are in terms of the services offered by our healthcare system, where we started, and where we are heading, especially in the field of oncology. I recall instances, not so distant in the past, when families of oncological patients were left homeless because they had to pay for treatment for their family members, and this was just 12 years ago. From that point, under the leadership of the Georgian Dream government, a series of serious steps were taken for cancer prevention and treatment, bringing us to where we are today, where a significant number of patients are concerned about whether targeted therapy and immunotherapy will be fully funded. This is a very long journey", - Irma Zavradashvili clarified.

Expert Ivane Kiladze presented the findings and recommendations of the thematic inquiry to the participants.

The key findings of the thematic inquiry highlighted barriers in the process of accessing oncological services, based on which sixteen recommendations were provided in the following areas: diagnosis of oncological patients, treatment of oncological patients, participation in international clinical trials, additional services for oncological patients, and the medical education system.