Apart from employment, one of the most painful problems facing our people is the lack of access to health services and I would like to underline affordable prices on medicines, - Prime Minister of Georgia Mamuka Bakhtadze said at the Tbilisi City Council (Sakrebulo), where he introduced a new program under which pensioners, socially vulnerable people and persons with disabilities will be able to purchase 35 types of medicines for GEL 1 to treat some chronic diseases.

"We are building a socially responsible state. I have a lot of meetings with our citizens and apart from employment, one of the most painful problems facing our people is the lack of access to health services and I would like to underline affordable prices on medicines. This is a very painful problem that has accumulated in our society, and we need to take principled steps to support our population in easing to overcome this problem. Today is a really special day in this regard. As you know, this was a priority task I have given to the Ministries of Health and Finance and today we have a concrete result, according to which our pensioners and various groups will be able to symbolically buy the medicines they need at a symbolic price, for GEL 1. Our program covers the most common diseases, such as cardiovascular, thyroid, lung, diabetes, epilepsy and Parkinson.

I would also like to promise everyone that this program will continue and this list will be expanded. This is a priority task given to the Ministry of Health. I would also like to tell you that this program has been launched in Georgia since today and our citizens can buy these medicines in 118 drug stores across Georgia. This is an important step in starting a systematic solution to the problems facing our society, our economy. I personally consider this problem as one of the steps in the fight against poverty, since recent studies show that a large part of our citizens' income goes to purchasing medicines,” PM Bakhtadze said.

source: IPN/ interpressnews.ge