Georgia’s Ministry of Health is continuing work to expand state-funded medical services for patients with rare neuromuscular conditions, with plans to extend coverage currently available to children to adult beneficiaries as well.
The initiative is part of a broader update to the state programme for rare diseases, which will offer an expanded package of diagnostic, inpatient and outpatient services for patients with conditions such as spinal muscular atrophy, Duchenne muscular dystrophy and Becker muscular dystrophy.
Health Minister Mikheil Sarjveladze, accompanied by Deputy Minister Tea Giorgadze, met with clinic representatives and hospital management interested in joining the programme and delivering services to eligible patients. During the meeting, the parties discussed the scope of the programme and its expected impact on patient care.
Sarjveladze claimed that continuous monitoring remains one of the most critical components in managing neuromuscular diseases. He noted that the planned expansion will significantly improve patient outcomes by ensuring broader and more systematic access to medical services.
Once the new component is fully implemented, beneficiaries will be able to receive multidisciplinary care, including consultations with neurologists, cardiologists, pulmonologists, endocrinologists, gastroenterologists or nutritionists, and orthopaedists. The programme will also provide access to a wide range of clinical, laboratory and instrumental examinations, aimed at improving early detection, monitoring and overall disease management.
The Ministry emphasized that the expanded services are designed to enhance long-term care and quality of life for patients, while ongoing efforts are focused on ensuring that adult patients are fully integrated into the state-funded system alongside children.
