A new model for providing assistive technologies has been launched in Georgia, integrating such devices directly into the healthcare system. This includes wheelchairs, prostheses, hearing aids, and mobility aids, previously unavailable to thousands of people, especially outside major cities. Now, assistance can be obtained closer to home, without traveling to the capital and waiting for a long time.
The reform started in 2021 with the approval of a national list of priority assistive products, aligned with WHO recommendations. Since then, the number of devices funded by the state has increased from 13 to 24. Pilot projects in Samegrelo and Adjara showed that primary health care facilities can effectively assess patients' needs, issue devices, and train them in their use, which is especially important for rural communities.
Funding for the program has increased by 55% in two years, to 8.5 million GEL in 2025. The state fully covers the cost of children's and electric wheelchairs and hearing aids, and has also introduced a referral system for patients after amputations. According to the WHO, this approach creates a complete ecosystem of assistive technologies and makes them not a privilege, but a basic right, directly affecting people's independence and quality of life.