There Is Embezzlement  at Every Step  in Health Care Ministry

There Is Embezzlement at Every Step in Health Care Ministry

Simply speaking, after the Rose Revolution it transpired that the whole health care system was turned into a den full of people occupied with corruptive deals. After they began to impose a general control on health care system, it was discovered that several millions of Lari were embezzled. The present crime concerns the dialyze program. Everybody feels a sense that in Health Care Ministry such deals have always been made and of course will be made in the future too. 

The Investigation group of Prosecutor’s Office detained the founders of LTD “Via- Vita” for embezzlement 14 million GEL from National budget. The founders of LTD “Via- Vita” Konstantine Chivchiuri, Ioseb Maisuradze, Merab Antadze and David Khabeishvili misappropriated and squandered several millions of GEL while treating patients suffering from kidney deficiency within the frameworks of State budget-financed programs. They were able to misappropriate the sum with the support of Healthcare Ministry officials and in some cases due to their negligence on the basis of the contract signed with German “Fresenius Medical Care”.

The company imported dialyzers by means of a famous firm “Fresenius Medical Care”. The Ministry of Health Care paid money into LTD “Via Vita”s account. LTD “Via Vita” transferred money in Germany in its turn. However, “Fresenius Medical Care” returned 10% of the sum to the company, that meant they made an artificial growth of dialyzator price.  

The founders of LTD “Via Vita” have already been detained by the Prosecutor’s Office. They claim that misappropriation of the sum was made with the support of Ministry of Health Care employs and due to their negligence.

In accordance with the acting legislation (the Article 194, Part III) the committed crime envisions 9-11 years of imprisonment for the founders of LTD “Via- Vita”: Konstantine Chivchiuri, Ioseb Maisuradze, Merab Antadze and David Khabeishvili. 

The Investigation Department of the Prosecutor General’s Office of Georgia and the Georgian Control Chamber disclosed a corruptive scheme of especially large amount illegal income. 

Health Care Minister made some comments about the violations made in dialyze program. In Andria Urushadze’s words, shady transaction must be rooted up and the sum must reach the patients who are in need. In his opinion too, public control must be imposed on program monitoring financed by the state.  

“More than 4 million GEL have been allocated on dialyze program for the next year budget. More than 1000 people are involved in this program. We should help these people in order that the sum must not be spent on growing some individuals rich but on meeting the essential requirements of patients”, - declared the Minister.  

In a German company “Fresenius Medical Care” they refrain from making any comments about the event. Manager of Public Relations of the company says that nothing is known for him about cooperation with famous Georgian company and their corruptive scheme. They say in “Fresenius Medical Care” that facts must be checked up first and foremost and an official comment will only be made after that.