Monday, July 30, 2007, #143 (1410)

Press Scanner
Prepared by Diana Dundua

Headline: Consortium Picked to Build Adjaran Hospitals
A five-company consortium won a state tender for constructing hospitals, reports the newspaper Akhali Taoba.
The companies—Aversi Pharma, PSP Pharma, Block Georgia, GPC and Wella Ge—will be building a 90-bed hospital in Batumi, plus two smaller hospitals in the village of Keda, in Adjara province.
In return, the government handed over Batumi medical centers to the consortium.
Georgia’s hospital development plan is pushing for 100 new hospitals in the country. Investor companies get the old facilities in exchange for building the new ones.

Headline: NATO Information Center Opens in Upper Abkhazia
The newspaper Rezonansi reports that a NATO information center opened in the upper Abkhazian village of Chkhalta on July 26. Local resident Guram Gurchiani reportedly organized the event.
A slew of Georgian and diplomatic corps officials attended the opening ceremony.
Chair of the parliamentary Foreign Relations Committee Kote Gabashvili says the center will, importantly, inform locals about NATO integration.
After the ceremony, head of the Abkhaz government-in-exile Malkhaz Akishbaia took guests on a tour of the administrative buildings damaged in the rocket attack on March 11.
On the same day, the first big concert in upper Abkhazia in 15 years was held, with well-known singers Nato Gelashvili and Gio Khutsishvili performing under the slogan “Nato in Nato.”

Headline: Gia Maisashvili Creates New Political Party
Economist Gia Maisashvili has founded a new political party, called Party of the Future. His party, Maisashvili says, will be based on tradition and innovation. The former Enron employee announced on July 27 that he was formally registering the party with the Ministry of Justice, writes the newspaper Sakartvelos Respublika.
Maisashvili recently announced a bid for the presidency.
“The base of the party will be tradition and innovation, as without national understanding of tradition it will be impossible to maintain the country’s stability and survival. As for innovation, this is an energy that should make the state dynamic. Thus tradition meets innovation—this is a vital thing to be established in a modern society,” explained Maisashvili.
He added that he won’t cooperate with the current crop of prominent opposition politicians, as “the country needs people who will do something to improve the existing situation.”
The Party of the Future, once formed, will be the 180th political party registered in Georgia.
 
Headline: Health Ministry Increases Assistance for the Poor
The newspaper Akhali Taoba reports that GEL 45 million will be spent on medical service vouchers for poor people this year. Minister of Labor, Health and Social Affairs Lado Chipashvili announced the program July 27.
The minister claims a historic decision was made during that week’s cabinet meeting.
“In the beginning, this program will cover Tbilisi and Imereti. GEL 7.2 in vouchers will be given to 200 000 poor citizens each month, as a result of which insurance companies will insure their health,” explained the minister.
The voucher program will start September 1, he said.



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