Abkhaz doctors to get pay rise ‘by request of COVID patients’

Abkhaz patients with coronavirus have asked the president to increase doctors’ salaries. The Abkhaz diaspora in Moscow also put up money for the cause.

Patients of the Gudauta Central Hospital which has been specially designated for the treatment of COVID-19 wrote to the president of Abkhazia, Aslan Bzhania, with a request to double the salaries of all the staff of this clinic and the involved doctors.

• Why don’t doctors want to treat coronavirus patients in Abkhazia?

• Georgia: coronavirus patients from the other side of territorial conflict

“We asked about the wage of their [doctors] labor. And we were very surprised at the amount: taking into account the years of service, the salary ranges from six to nine or ten thousand rubles a month [about $80-130]. But even this meager salary is often delayed,” the letter says.

The president did not officially answer the letter, but the Ministry of Health of the republic asked for financial assistance from the head of the Moscow Abkhaz diaspora, famous businessman Beslan Agrba.

The diaspora community promptly responded to the appeal and guaranteed assistance, which will be provided until the epidemiological situation stabilizes.

The first monthly tranche for October, in agreement with the hospital’s management, will amount to almost two million rubles [about $26,000].

“We hope that this assistance will be a timely and effective measure that will enable the republic to cope with the severe epidemic,” representatives of the Moscow Abkhaz diaspora said.

As of October 24, there are 141 confirmed COVID patients in the Gudauta hospital. 27 of them are in serious condition.

On October 24, the number of detected cases of coronavirus per day was 117 people. The total number of detected cases in Abkhazia was 3,567. Of these, 1,355 people  have recovered and 33 have died.

Toponyms, terminology, views, and opinions expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of JAMnews or any employees thereof. JAMnews reserves the right to delete comments it considers to be offensive, inflammatory, threatening, or otherwise unacceptable.