Authorities of South Osetia forbade the doctors to cross the border of Leningor district, Georgian sources report

The authorities of South Osetia forbade the physicians of Leningor district to cross the administrative border with Georgia, Georgian mass media report referring to the information from the population of the district. There are no official comments on the matter.

According to local residents, the prohibition will be enacted since January, 15, and concerns the medical personnel of local hospital, outpatients' clinic, sanitary-and-epidemiologic station and the ambulance service.

These people had formerly needed to get a special permission in Tskhinvali for crossing the border and transporting patients but now it is prohibited to issue such permissions. This decision was taken by the Ministry of Public Health of Tskhinvali, "Interpressnews" reports.

There are no official comments in the matter either from the Georgian or from South-Osetian parties.

It should me mentioned that there were similar accusations against South-Osetian authorities in December, 2010. Georgian sources stated that this was a revenge upon the medical personnel of local hospital for "the physicians have not signed the statement on occupation of this district by the authorities of Georgia drawn up by South-Osetian authorities".

Later on Alan Jussoev, Head of Leningor district Administration of South Osetia, said that the Leningor physicians did sign the above mentioned document, therefore "the statement has nothing to do with the regulations of crossing the border", IA "Res" reported.

According to Jussoev, the regulations of crossing the border "are absolutely the same for doctors, teachers, officials and ordinary citizens". He also said that "no regulations have been worked out with Georgia on crossing the border in crisis situations which creates problems".