“It turned out that only a few dozen people contacted emergency services with respiratory problems. In individual cases, if anyone needs to be examined, of course, medical personnel and hospitals are fully ready to conduct assessments,” said Minister of Health Mikheil Sarjveladze, speaking about those injured during the dispersal of protests in November–December 2024.

As for the BBC’s investigative report, the minister said there is an artificially fabricated uproar.

“In the Chakhunashvili report, it is described that during a multi-thousand protest, there was ‘release of chemical substances.’ It turns out that only a few dozen people contacted emergency services with respiratory problems. In the letter I issued, the facts are clearly stated - how many people needed medical assistance and how many were taken to the hospital - in total, just a few!

We have to acknowledge the fact that not a single person needed to stay in a hospital for even one full day. Overall, the number of people who needed transportation to a hospital did not exceed 10 - let alone requiring hospitalization.

In individual cases, if anyone needs additional examination, of course, medical staff, hospitals, and clinics are ready to provide individual evaluations.

There is no alarming data on the basis of which anyone should have started a panic or suspected the use of a chemical substance, or demanded chemical analysis. I agree with the opinion that this is a fabricated, artificially created uproar,” the minister stated.