Third President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili is said to be in critical condition in Gldani Prison Hospital. His lawyer, Beka Basilaia, announced yesterday evening after visiting him in prison that Saakashvili has lost consciousness and doctors pulled him out on a stretcher.
“I cannot assess from a medical point of view, he was in a very serious condition. When he fell, before the stretcher was brought down, he was in a very serious condition. Misha was coming out of a meeting with the lawyers, he had to go upstairs and when he came out of the room, he fell to his knees. Then a stretcher was brought in a few minutes. The staff was trying to open his eyes and put him on the stretcher. I do not know where they took him,” Basilaia told journalists.
As it turned out, the former president, who has been on a hunger strike for almost 50 days now, was taken to the the prison hospital’s ICU.
Later, the intensivist stated that his condition was stable “as a result of minor resuscitation measures.”
“There was an episode of loss of consciousness and now the patient is in an absolutely stable condition. oxygenation, respiration and other parameters are normal,” the doctor said.
Saakashvili remains in the ICU for additional monitoring. However, there is a risk that such an episode of loss of consciousness might occur again. Accordingly, Saakashvili’s supporters and opposition MPs are demanding he be transferred to a multi-profile civilian hospital for proper treatment, as Gldani Prison Hospital is not ready to provide the treatment needed by such a critical patient.
At the same time, Droa party leader Elene Khoshtaria, who has been on a hunger strike in support of Saakashvili for 17 days, is also in grave condition. Yet she says she does not intend to end her hunger strike until the ex-president is transferred to an appropriate civilian hospital.
“I refuse medical treatment against the critical indicators and I will not receive anything until Mikheil Saakashvili is transferred,” she stated.
Up to 10 other opposition MPs are on a hunger strike in the parliament building demanding that Mikheil Saakashvili be transferred to a civilian clinic.
Georgia’s opera singer Paata Burchuladze also declared a hunger strike, demanding Mikheil Saakashvili’s transfer to a civilian clinic from the prison hospital.
Against this background and continuous protest rallies, the position of the government remains unchanged and they say they are not going to transfer Saakashvili to a civilian clinic.
By Ana Dumbadze
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