Author: Irma Kahurashvili
On the 23-26th of May in the Georgian region, Kakheti 28 family doctors had special trainings about human rights in the context of HIV/AIDS. The trainings were organized by the Bridging the Gaps Medical School and Benomi Public Union and were held within the framework of the project “Bridging the Gaps: Health And Rights For Key Populations”.
The positive effect
In small Georgian villages patients and doctors have very limited access to information about actual health services and programs about HIV/AIDS and hepatitis. Usually, such problems go unheeded because of lacking medical staff – for example, in one of the villages of Akhmeta district there are only 3 general practitioners and 3 nurses who serve 5,000 locals. The permanent employment of specialists and lacking studying opportunities don’t allow them to gain actual knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Also, unfortunately, some doctors still have a negligent attitude to people who use drugs, and they don’t know which kind of services are vital for them.
That’s why the trainings by Bridging the Gaps Medical School about psychoactive substances, drug use, and human rights in the context of HIV/AIDS for doctors from Duisi, Alvani, Matani, Khodasheni, and other Kakhetian villages were very useful. “Thank you very much Bridging the Gaps Medical School. New information, that we learned during the trainings, is really like oxygen for us,” says an epidemiologist from Ahmeta Public Health Centre Shorena Kibrotsashvili, a participant of the event. “These trainings helped us to look at the problems of patients living with HIV/AIDS in a new way. Besides, it made us more tolerant towards people who use drugs”.
Main topics
“The goal of this project is to identify which knowledge is lacking today for solving problems with HIV/AIDS in the future”, concludes Davit Kazaishvili, director of Bemoni. That’s why during these trainings we tried to look at these topics from different angles”. The first training was about psychoactive substances and addiction issues. Doctors discussed in detail what are drugs, psychotropic/psychoactive substances, abstinence symptoms, mental and physical addiction and the essence of addiction treatment.
The second thematic training was focused mostly on the classification of human rights. In this context, specialists discussed the right to health, Georgian legislation, confidentiality, access to information for minor patients and the rights of HIV-positive people.
To be continued…
The first trainings within the framework of the project “Bridging the Gaps” were held in 2017. In 2018, the Medical school also organized 3 trainings for a total of 43 doctors. In 2019, Georgian specialists will have a chance to participate in two more events – on the 28-29th of June trainings will take place in Kvareli district and in autumn – in Telavi.
