In Georgia, by May 9, the number of people infected with coronavirus can reach two thousand people, and in the worst case, more than four thousand is expected, said Georgian Minister of Health Ekaterina Tikaradze.
“I named only one date — this is May 9th. We call this a one-component calculation, which, of course, can be different in dynamics and in time indications. That means there can be from two thousand to three thousand and from four thousand to five thousand infected. And you should no look at these numbers so calmly that it’s only two thousand per three million people. This is a one-component calculation, not a dynamic calculation, which may look more dramatic,” Tikaradze said.
According to the minister, in Georgia, there are a total of 256 infectious disease specialists and 488 emergency physicians. This means that only 488 doctors can work with breathing ventilators in Georgia, and it is rather difficult to distribute them in the healthcare system as there are busy schedules.
“They have a rather difficult day schedule. They have to be on duty for 24 hours. We must understand what mental and physical stress lies on these people to carry out their work in a qualified manner. We must take care of the physical and mental capabilities of these people so that such a collapse does not happen like in other countries,” Tikaradze emphasized.
The Minister noted that infectious disease specialists are assisted by internal medicine specialists, therapists and family doctors. COVID infection in approximately 80% is mild and 20% of patients require physical care. This, according to Tikaradze, gives us hope that the Georgian healthcare system will not collapse.