PM 'Scolds' GD MP for Confronting Healthcare Minister
Civil Georgia, Tbilisi / 22 Apr.'13 / 21:05

PM Bidzina Ivanishvili, who is now visiting Strasbourg, said on Monday he “scolded” GD MP Koba Davitashvili for leveling “groundless” allegations against healthcare minister.

MP Davitashvili became a lawmaker as a result of running on GD’s party list in October elections; he, however, is not a member of any of six parties united in the GD coalition. He has alleged that Healthcare Minister Davit Sergeenko was lobbying the interests of insurance companies while elaborating a scheme on state-funded health insurance program.

“Why is the Ministry of Healthcare in fact the ministry for insurance companies, instead of being the ministry for patients and doctors? Why are all of his decisions in favor of insurance companies, instead of being in favor of patients and doctors?” Davitashvili said, calling on the Healthcare Ministry to revise its decision, which he said, was in line only with the interests of insurance companies rather than in insurance policy holders.

Sergeenko dismissed MP Davitashvili’s allegations as groundless and said on April 22, that these were “serious accusations involving corruption” and Davitashvili “should either provide documented evidence or apologize publicly.”

Asked about this argument between lawmaker from his GD coalition and his cabinet minister, PM Ivanishvili told Georgian journalists in Strasbourg that he phoned MP Davitashvili on Monday and “scolded him quite a bit” for leveling his complaints publicly without at first raising the issue within the coalition.

“I explained him that if he wants to remain in the team, he should reckon with the team and he should at least raise the issue within the team at first,” PM Ivanishvili said, adding that MP Davitashvili’s allegations were groundless and “completely made up.”

“Sergeenko is absolutely honest man,” Ivanishvili said of Healthcare Minister, who before taking post in PM’s cabinet served as head of a hospital in Ivanishvili’s native Sachkhere, which was funded by Ivanishvili as part of his charitable activities.

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