The Only Income of a Disabled Person Might Be Sequestered

Maka Malakmadze, Adjara

Everybody will show the house of Jumber Ashlarba in the so-called Abkhazian district in Batumi. A rusty iron gate leads us into the yard of a two-storied house. The house walls have never been painted; moreover, they had never been renovated either. A disabled person Jumber Ashlarba lives together with his family (wife and two daughters) in two rooms on the ground floor; the family copes with poverty.

When the representative of the Human Rights Center visited the family, hostess Marine Ashlarba was preparing food for chickens in the first room which they use as a kitchen too. Jumber Ashlarba was lying on the bed in the second room; he uses the bed as an armchair too. His wheelchair was empty at that moment.

Jumber Ashlarba has been diabetic for more than 20 years. In 2009, his left leg was amputated in Batumi central hospital. Marina Ashlarba said their rating points at that time was 57 057. “We had medical policy but they told us at the Insurance Company “Imedi-L” that Jumber was removed from the computer program for uncertain reason. The doctors said the operation was urgently needed but nobody requested the money immediately. Now, they are demanding money from us. How can I get that money now?”

“I had gangrene and my leg was necessarily to be operated on. I always avoided visiting doctor because of lack of money. The operation cost 1 300 GEL but now we have to pay 1 830 GEL with its percents,” Jumber Ashlarba interrupted us.

Ashlarba is still taking medical treatment at the Batumi central hospital. The medical service is free for him at 60% but the rest he pays from his pension.

The Ashlarbas said they received a notice about debt from the hospital. “When we received a notice, I went to hospital. I was told the notice was sent by mistake. Now, representatives of the executive bureau came to us and demanded money. They said our house will be sequestered and the will get the money for the debt from our pension.”

Jumber Ashlarba receives pension of 80 GEL per month for his disability and age. “Our family lives on that 80 GEL. We have two daughters, 17 and 18. I have to take additional medical treatment for other diseases too: for example, I was in hospital for one week for lung inflammation. If the hospital takes my pension for the operation debt, our family will remain without that meager income.”

The Ashlarbas cannot get social allowance. The social agent initially granted 57 070 points to the family and then, in October of 2009, the agent evaluated their family with 66 300 points that was too much to get social allowance. “We had 57 070 points when my husband had amputated only his foot. At least, he could move and fetch water for himself then. Now, his health conditions worsened after his leg was amputated at the hip. Since he has been bounded to the wheelchair and bed, our social life has worsened too and we need more money. Nevertheless, the agent evaluated our family with more, 66 300 points. Several days ago, they visited us again but I will not be surprised if they grant even higher points now.”

The Human Rights Center appealed to the health ombudsman Anzor Baladze. He said, without demographic changes in the family, if the family had a medical policy, then every family member could enjoy it.

The Center also tried to find out the situation with the Insurance Company “Imedi-L” but the Batumi office refused to make comment on the fact; they suggested the center representative to apply to the Tbilisi central office on similar issues.

Marine Ashlarba said they had received neither court summon about processing of their case nor the court judgment. Director of the Batumi central hospital Mindia Nakashidze said they have appealed to the court because the hospital had not received reimbursement for its service. “The family did not have the medical policy at that moment. Maybe, they had enough points for the policy but it was assigned to them later. So, the document cannot cover the operation which was made before. It is not our problem that the person was omitted from the policy-holders’ list. Maybe, they agreed that the patient would cover the payment for the operation and the operation was done. Then, they checked if he had paid the money and consequently, we appealed to the court.”

Executors have already visited and warned Jumber Ashlarba to pay the debt within two months. Otherwise, the debt will be covered from his pension.

The Human Rights Center called Mirian Kharabadze, head of Adjara Executive Bureau who refused to make comments because he was working on plenty of cases together and cannot spend extra time on this particular case. “We have moved to a Justice House, we are implementing reform and I cannot promise you to make comments in several hours either. Send letter to us and we will reply to you in the written form as well.”