According to Kakha Tsikarishvili, a parent of a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, several factors may have contributed to the decision regarding the funding of medication for the disease, including public support, the involvement of the Georgian Patriarchate, and a letter sent to Bidzina Ivanishvili.

Tsikarishvili spoke about the issue on PalitraNews’ program Free Studio.

He said that the parents sent a letter to Bidzina Ivanishvili a few days ago and does not rule out the possibility that personal intervention may also have played a role in the matter.

“On behalf of the parents, I would like to thank everyone. This is the result of our collective struggle. I would also like to thank the Patriarchate. I believe the Patriarchate’s influence was a factor in this process. I also thank the government for making the decision. We never doubted that we would eventually reach this point. Our fight was fair, and in a fair fight we would prevail. In Georgia, we practically had no opponents.

I do not know exactly what led to the final decision. There were several factors. One was our meeting with the Patriarchate. The most important factor was public support. A third factor was that we sent a letter to Bidzina Ivanishvili. It was a very well-crafted letter, and I believe it reached its intended recipient. The letter was sent a few days ago. We all know that Mr. Bidzina Ivanishvili has influence over developments in Georgia. This is no secret to anyone. I do not rule out the possibility that personal intervention took place.

Some of our supporters also believe that the announcement of a hunger strike influenced the decision. The parents had said that if they did not achieve a positive outcome, they would begin a hunger strike. This, too, may have served as a method of struggle. Altogether, all of these factors worked together,” Tsikarishvili said.

Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze stated that a working group will be established with the participation of representatives of the Ministry of Health and the parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The group will actively work on ensuring access to specific medications for the children.

Following his meeting with the parents, the Prime Minister said that an agreement had been reached on particular medications for which work would begin. The final decision on purchasing these medications, however, will be made based on various factors, including “the terms offered by pharmaceutical companies.”

The Prime Minister did not specify which medications had been agreed upon, but after the meeting, parents of children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy stated that discussions concerned two different types of medication.