Tamaz Tsakhnakiya on the issue of opening borders: “We are ready to provide full medical assistance to 300 patients

The issue of possible opening of the state border was discussed at the RA Public Chamber.

 Sukhum. July 20. Apsnypress. The issue of possible opening of the state border of Abkhazia was discussed in the Public Chamber of RA. The meeting was attended by Minister of Health Tamaz Tsakhnakiya, Minister of Tourism Teimuraz Khishba, Chief Sanitary Doctor Lyudmila Skorik, and MPs.

Opening the meeting, Secretary of the Public Chamber Guli Kichba noted: “On behalf of the public we declare that we are against the opening of the border. We believe that it is not advisable to open it yet, since the economy cannot be raised in two months of the tourist season. And the likelihood of importing the virus outside the territory of Abkhazia is great. "

 Talking about the readiness of Abkhaz health care to open the border, Tamaz Tsakhnakiya stressed: “As you know, during the entire period of the pandemic in Abkhazia, 38 people were infected. Of these, 37 have recovered. One patient, born in 1925, died from various complications against the background of COVID-19. The epidemiological situation in the republic has been stablen the last month. There are no patients with COVID-19 symptoms. The 300-bed covid center on the basis of the Gudauta Central Regional Hospital has received sufficient material and technical equipment. The institution is also equipped with required number of ventilators and X-ray machines. We will install a CT scanner there in the near future. ”

To date, 125 therapeutic doctors are involved in the fight against coronavirus. The resources that the health care of Abkhazia has is enough for 300 patients.

Minister of Health spoke about the situation in Krasnodar Territory: “Currently there are no more than 60 infected per day in Krasnodar Territory with population of 5 million. Most often patients are asymptomatic. There are not so many seriously ill patients. There is a significant decrease throughout the Russian Federation. But we must take into account the waveform of statistics."

According to Tsakhnakiya, the effectiveness of fight against coronavirus on the territory of Abkhazia depends on cooperation with Russian colleagues: “We work in close cooperation with colleagues from the Ministry of Health of Russia and Rospotrebnadzor. If we predict the likelihood the number of patients may increase, then we count on personnel, material and technical assistance from Russian colleagues."

Lyudmila Skorik told that the sanitary-epidemiological service was not ready to open the borders in the tourist season: “We will not be able to cope with examination of all incoming tourists. At present, the republic has the only laboratory with up to 2000 test systems. These tests are used exponentially due to fact that Russia demanded the presence of a certificate of the disease absence from those who entered. I cannot calculate for how long this number of tests will last. There are only two employees involved in PCR diagnostics. They have been working seven days a week since March 19 ”.

Teimuraz Khishba supported the opening of borders during the tourist season: “Tourism is the locomotive of the economy of Abkhazia. Most of the population of Abkhazia depends on the tourism business. If we do not open the border, then we will have to provide the population with an alternative source of income, which we do not have. The importance of the season cannot be underestimated. About 20 thousand citizens of Abkhazia are involved in the resort industry. The money supply appears in Abkhazia precisely during the summer holiday season. We take into account the experience of developed countries, which, despite the availability of reserve economic and industrial resources, are gradually opening their borders. "

According to parliamentarians, the government together with the Ministry of Health has developed recommendations for crossing the state border and providing tourist services, which are designed to exclude or significantly minimize the spread of COVID-19 in Abkhazia.