"He cannot be treated like this" - Saakashvili's doctor on the condition of the ex-president of Georgia

Georgian opposition held another rally in support of detained and hunger-striking ex-president Saakashvili in front of the Georgian parliament. The opposition once again demanded his immediate release and transfer to multidisciplinary clinic from the Godwin prison hospital. 

Mikheil Saakashvili has a problem with high blood pressure, his condition is deteriorating rapidly, we cannot continue to treat this situation like that, said Nikoloz Kipshidze, the personal physician of the ex-president of Georgia, who has been on hunger strike for a month and a half in prison. 

Saakashvili was forcibly taken to the prison hospital, but he categorically refused to accept any medical assistance there.  Saakashvili, his supporters and the opposition are demanding the transfer of the ex-president to a multidisciplinary clinic, with the necessary equipment and conditions for his safety.

“Maybe society does not understand me or I am not making myself clear.  The situation gets worse and worse every day.  When people are hunger striking, they definitely need concomitant treatment”, says Nikoloz Kipshidze.

Eka Kherkheulidze, a representative of the opposition United National Movement party ( founded by Mikhail Saakashvili), visited the ex-president in his ward in a prison hospital and reported the following:

● Saakashvili often feels bad, and if he has no visitors at this time, he is left completely alone, without supervision, there is not even a button to call the medical staff;

● the nursing staff consists of just one doctor who is sitting in the next room. If necessary, Saakashvili must shout to call him;

● the only medical equipment in his room is a pressure measuring device;

● Saakashviliis guarded by one unarmed security guard;

● his body has such a low level of potassium that at any time a heart attack may develop;

● in order to get to the lower floor, where the wards are located and where simple procedures can be performed, you must first evacuate the rest of the prisoners from this floor;

● Saakashvili has not yet been transferred to the lower floor.

“Mikhail Saakashvili was not transferred to a multidisciplinary clinic, he was transferred to a multidisciplinary hell.  He needs oxygen.  The window is completely closed and does not open.  Oxygen does not penetrate there and sunlight does not penetrate either.  As soon as Mikheil Saakashvili opens a window to get oxygen, in an empty cell, where there is no auxiliary device, the prisoners start scolding and shouting at him, and he is forced to close  the window.  A person who has been starving for so many days does not have the opportunity to receive oxygen”, said Eka Kherkheulidze

The MP said that Saakashvili, who “was allegedly taken for treatment on the basis of a council’s report on ‘alarming indicators’ and who needed urgent help, found himself surrounded by people who wanted him dead”. According to Kherkheulidze, if Mikheil Saakashvili falls ill, a doctor or a nurse will be placed in this empty cell, who will check his blood pressure and, if necessary, take blood for analysis.  According to Eka Kherkheulidze, Saakashvili also said that conditions were better in Rustavi and that he received good medical care there.

On November 10, the Strasbourg court issued a priority ruling on “interim measures” related to Mikheil Saakashvili’s hunger strike and the threat of irreparable damage to his health and safety.

The Strasbourg court considered the case on a priority basis and adopted “interim measures”.  In terms of the content of the “provisional measures”, this decision means that the European Court of Human Rights has realized the danger of causing irreparable damage to Saakashvili’s life and health.

 In addition to ensuring Saakashvili’s security, the court ordered the Georgian authorities to provide him with appropriate medical assistance during or after the hunger strike to restore his health (provided that he stops hunger strike).

On November 11, Saakashvili announced that he was ready to end the hunger strike if the government complied with the decision of Strasbourg and provided him with an opportunity for rehabilitation after the hunger strike.

The ex-president of Georgia has been on a hunger strike for more than 40 days since his arrest on October 1.

 On November 8, he was forcibly transferred from the Rustavi prison to the prison hospital in the Gldani district on the outskirts of Tbilisi to prevent “deterioration of his health”.  Saakashvili himself, his family, doctors and the ombudsman opposed his transfer on the grounds that the prison hospital did not have the medical equipment needed to treat Saakashvili and that it was also unsafe there.

Public Defender of Georgia Nino Lomjaria inspected the medical facility of the Gldani prison several times.  The Ombudsman wrote in her reports that the conditions in the clinic are not suitable for treating the patient.

The leader of the Droa political party, Elena Khoshtaria, also went on a hunger strike in parliament demanding that Saakashvili be taken to a civilian clinic.

On November 8, Mikheil Saakashvili was forcibly taken to the Gldani prison.  In parallel with these processes, on November 8, the opposition began large-scale continuous protests demanding the release of Mikhail Saakashvili and the announcement of early elections.