Primary Health Care Problems and Necessities In Georgia

Abstract

In the article it is discussed the essence, purpose of primary health care and the results of the reforms that have been implemented in it since Georgia gained independence. As it is well known, primary health care in highly developed countries receives the special attention from the government because it is responsible for taking care of the health of patients, their families and the community it serves. In 2014, the government of Georgia declared primary health care as a priority for Europe, but this is not reflected in its state funding. Primary health care accounts for 23.2% of the state funding of health care, and the hospital sector - 65.5%. The referral rate of patients in primary healthcare is 3.6 in Georgia, and 7.5 in Europe. In addition, in primary healthcare in Georgia, out-of-pocket payments account for 47%, in Germany 5%, etc. The goal of the reforms implemented in the primary health care of Georgia (the formation of the "Family Doctor" Institute, the implementation of the "Village Doctor" program, etc.) was to raise the image of the primary health care organizations, to turn patients to them, but this did not happen. Today, only 51% of patients refer to primary healthcare clinics in Georgia. In-depth reforms of primary healthcare in Georgia started in 2000. Financially, Great Britain, the World Bank, the European Union and others participated in it. The general plan for the development of primary health care for the years 200-2009 was developed, the department of primary health care was also established, which was abolished again a year later, etc. Although after that, the referral rate of primary care institutions increased by 25%, but this did not mean the final victory in the regulation of primary care. As a result, in 2015, the relevant ministry announced a new, fundamental reform of primary healthcare and adopted the 2016-2023 project for the development of this field. Today is 2022, that is, six years have passed since the announcement of this supposedly fundamental reform, during which the number of patients referred to primary health care rose to 3.6. But even this is not enough - the institution of "family doctor" and "rural doctor" in Georgia is still underdeveloped: studies show that 18% of respondents evaluated the institution of "family doctor" negatively, 47% call for cardinal changes in it and etc. Moreover, in order to respond to these challenges, the article emphasizes the need for the relevant bodies of Georgia to familiarize themselves with the European framework - "Health 2020" and to build the primary health care of Georgia in a European manner. Keywords: Primary health care; the patient; "Family doctor"; "Village Doctor"; "Health - 2020".