11 January 2012, 22:00
Georgian Labour Party holds protest action against fee for ambulance call
Today, the Labour Party of Georgia held a rally called "Sorry, you will die". The protest of the Labour Party was caused by the resolution adopted by the Tbilisi government, which had determined the fee for ambulance.
On January 1, the government adopted the resolution, in accordance to which the cost for calling the brigade of the "Centre of ambulance" was defined in the amount of 40 laris (about 24 US dollars).
"To render free emergency medical care to the population, it was necessary to determine the cost of ambulance call. That amount will be paid to the "Centre of ambulance" by the Tbilisi Mayoralty, insurance companies, and, in some cases, different organizations," the IA "Novosti-Georgia" quotes the resolution as stating.
At the rally, held at the Digomi District near one of the ambulance branches, Paata Djibladze, Executive Secretary of the Labour Party, has stated that initially, the calls will be paid by the Mayoralty; however, soon the time will come, when citizens will have to pay that amount, the "Georgia online" reports.
However, Mamuka Katsarava, the head of the City Social and Cultural Service of the Mayoralty, has assured that no fees will be charged for the ambulance medical care.
Earlier, the "Caucasian Knot" has reported on the protest action of the Georgian Labour Party against the sale of polyclinics in Tbilisi. The statement of the oppositional party, issued on August 23, 2011, emphasized that by that way "the authorities deprive the population of the vital medical services."
