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The Institute of Radiology and Interventional Diagnosis is the leading medical institution in Georgia for practical activities and scientific strength. Furthermore, thanks to telemedicine, it has been integrated into the total medical system, having opportunity to hold international consultations with famous specialists.
“Every Georgian have to come back to his country especially when it is independent, when country needs professionals, to build a new country for future generations,” assured Fridon Todua Director- Academician, the founder of the Institute of Radiology and Interventional Diagnosis, Vice President of the Georgian Academy of Sciences who was awarded the Order of Merit of Europe as well as of the USSR.
Q: Could you make the diagnostics of Georgian health care system today?
A: It is already fifteen years that I arrived from Russia to Georgia and diagnostics did not exist at that time practically here. I was the one who brought the computer tomography in the country and gradually we started to develop the diagnostics in Georgia. Health care system was not priority in Georgia unlike last two years. All the equipments were bought on credit from banks as the state failed to make investments in the system.
Q: How is the situation of the country today?
A: Today the situation has changed, the government finances building of top standard regional medical centers, one is already built in Kutaisi and the construction of Gori center is under the way. Sometimes I meet our president and he often asks what he can do more for the health care system and medicine to be more developed and successful. I told that we need equipments for Radiotherapy and already in three month it was announced a tender and I hope our company will win in the tender, so government is investing in the system.
Q: You can have good equipments, but if you do not have good doctors, there is nothing to do. How well educated are the Georgian doctors?
A: To be honest, I have needed 15 years to have excellent professionals here in the institute. They got education in Harvard, Cambridge and other famous universities and they are used to participate in international conferences.
Q. Could you speak about the institute?
A: I must admit that the Georgian x-ray-radiology institute is very well known on the international scene. No international scientific conference is held without participation of Georgian specialists. Among post-Soviet countries, the Association of Radiology of Georgia was the first to become a member of the radiology association of Europe. Furthermore, our specialists are members of the executive committee of the association.
Q: How was the situation here when you arrived?
A: When I came back is was Soviet rule here. And it was just bare walls here and I had to start from the very beginning. I am often asked in Moscow why I left as I had everything there. But I came back home. Even thought it was hard. There was no water, no electricity, armed people around, but every Georgian have to come back to his country especially when it is independent, when country needs professionals, to build a new country for future generations. Georgia is a unique country, we got Christianity in third century we overcooked all Muslim conquerors but we did not loose our faith. So we are strong nation and we know what we want. I was Communist and I was Christian but I could not pray in the church as it was banned that time.
Q: Thanks to the Institute of Radiology and Interventional Diagnosis, which you established, Georgia was the first Soviet country to become a member of the European Association of Radiology (EAR). How actively does the institute cooperate with the Association?
A: The European Association of Radiology is one of the richest and strongest international organizations for its scientific strength, and being Georgia’s member of this association is a great achievement. Furthermore, The European Radiology Association pays great attention to different aspects of scholarship. As a member of the executive committee of the European Radiology Association, I have witnessed the discussion of developmental stages of radiology and recognition of the training of specialists as the main focus of the association. I must admit that a decision was made according to which every radiologist working in Georgia would have opportunity to take qualification examinations via the Internet and receive international certificates as doctor-radiologists with the right to work in all countries of the world.
Q: Many successful Georgian scientists have had invitations from various countries, where they are offered ideal conditions for scientific work. How dangerous is this trend, and why did you return to Georgia from Russia yourself, where you had excellent conditions?
A: I want to underline again that the Georgian Nation should be proud of its intellectual potency, and concern for its preservation is of the most important issue. It is a pity that our compatriots go abroad and are successful there. In my opinion, for a long time there was an attitude that discouraged young people from becoming scientists. This reason makes many scientists go abroad. Every country gladly welcomes our erudite specialists of different fields. Everyone who has been abroad has experienced nostalgia, and the sense that success achieved in the native country is ten times ‘sweeter’.
Q: On the other hand, could you tell me about your services?
A: In terms of service of patients, it is like everywhere in the world. We have patients with state insurance and some pay themselves; we won in the tenders that the Ministry of heals declare and we treat the vulnerable people state takes care of; we have relatively small number of physicians and everybody knows what to do.
Q: What about finances?
A: We got everything on credit, now we have to cover 2 million dollars for five years as we bought top quality equipments and banks are not afraid as we pay back on time without any delays. When I came back I was just physician but now I am physician together with manger, financial manager and everything
Q: What Georgia should need to improve in its health care system?
A: There is no ideal health care system, neither in US or anywhere in a developed country. But now we try to take a US or UK model to develop the health care system and try to identify which one fits more for the situation here. I can say that Soviet system had good health care model. We lived in Socialism and one day we woke up in a capitalistic world but nobody gave us a recipe.
Q: Could you speak about your greatest achievements during this period?
A: The biggest achievement for me and I think for every Georgian is that Georgia gained independence. Georgia is the most delicious piece of the cake that is in the earth and I am proud that I live here in my homeland. I lived in Moscow for a very long time, I have my flat, my friends, my teachers there and it is really hard for me to watch the political and economic developments between Georgia and Russia. It is a real pity..
