Training for Journalists on Health Care Issues

On December 3, 4 and 5, journalists were trained in health care issues as part of the Law, Media and Health initiative of Open Society Georgia Foundation.  The training course was run by health care experts Irakli Sasania, David Gzirishvili and Sopio Lebanidze.
The training course was the second stage of the workshop titled ‘Health Care and Human Rights’, which was held in October.  During the first stage, trainees simulated interviews and discussed various cases.  The workshop then focused on special tools for the media coverage of health care issues, insurance, hospital reforms, rights of patients and medical staff as well as issues related to medical ethics.  As requested by participants, the second stage aimed to gain a deeper insight into the topics discussed during the first stage and consider new ones:  The health care system and changes that had been made before 2007; reforms in the provision of medical care in terms of financing, benefit and administration; the development of insurance programs and experience of other states; quality-related problems in the health care system; the definition and types of a medical mistake; economic analysis of problems related to the quality of medical care; the role of the state in providing quality health care; health care policy etc.

The training course will help journalists prepare high quality, knowledge-based material and provide relaiable information to the reader.  “Apart from experience there is another key component for a professional education – you should know a lot about the fields you work on and are in touch with on a daily basis.  It is difficult to write a good article or prepare a specific report when you are a journalist and do not know what is going on in your country regarding a specific issue.  A workshop, which your foundation has run for already the second time, has given me an opportunity to learn much about this one specific field.  As a citizen, I already know what to do to get good medical care, and most importantly, I already know how to deliver this information to viewers, who should require from the state the implementation of their rights and adequate health care provision.  At such workshops we obtain information, which we cannot get at the time of making a report due to lack of time”, says Gigla Tumanishvili, a correspondent of Rustavi 2 Broadcasting Company.

Rusudan Panozishvili of Liberali magazine: “I am rather satisfied with the workshop.  I have obtained the information, which would take me months to collect independently.  The key problem – contacts and competent people – is an important component.  I know that on the basis of the knowledge I obtained I will be able to further cooperate with these people.  I have received answers to the questions I personally was rather interested in:  The health care system and review of models in Georgia.  It would be good to have such training in other fields as well”. 

Eka Chitanava of Liberali magazine: “Training was informative.  It is good to have an opportunity to gain a deeper insight into topics.  I have understood that there are a lot of issues I should write about.  Moreover, I became generally aware of the “context” and most importantly, I was introduced to the whole system”.