Tbilisi hospitals?
 

Need FT's personal touch here if possible. A dear friend is teaching for a year in Georgia just south of the airport in a small town called Rustavi. She's had abdominal pain the last few days (food? fatigue? stress? who knows!) and is now in a clinic there being told she needs her appendix taken out. This I know:

1. They love to pull out appendixes in that part of the world.
2. They are very familiar with the process and have done it countless times.
3. She speaks English and Russian but no Georgian yet (she's been there a week).
4. She and her mom who I am talking with here in Atlanta want to have her moved or move herself to a hospital in Tbilisi they both feel more comfortable with. They are talking to the director of the clinic about this right now.

This I don't know:

1. Is there something in Tbilisi a la the American Medical Center in Moscow? 2. Is there a hospital anyone on FT knows or has had connection with I might suggest to them?
3. Might someone here know a "person of peace" there I can connect her with? The peace of mind and practical help would mean a lot right now.

I've been able to help out folks in similar situations in places like Moscow, St. Pete, Omsk, Novosibirsk and the like and am hoping someone might be able to return to the favor now so I can put this young lady and her parents at ease.

PM or post it here. I'll be watching.

Thanks FT!

If there's a USA consulate there, try to find out what medical facilities they would suggest or use for their own staff. Do any American companies have lots of expat staff there? If so, check where they would send their people. AmEx might also be able to make suggestions.

Does the teacher have health insurance for Russia? They might suggest or require certain hospitals.

Bingo! Thank you. http://georgia.usembassy.gov/medical-information.html has turned up some good options.

Just so you know...
 

From my friend's mother who went to be with her when she learned of the surgery:

"We are day 4 in the Rustavi hospital. On Tuesday they did an emergency appendectomy as her appendix was abscessed Fortunately ______ is fluent in Russian and a lot of Georgians speak Russian so she is able to communicate well. Me, on the other hand the only word I understood from doctor was gangarine. We are so blessed that her host family brought her to the hospital when they did. The hospital is from the Soviet Union era. At first glance you could never even imagine being here let alone having surgery. However after being here the past 48 hours with _______ I have to say the doctor seemed very competent and the nurses very kind. She is up and taking small steps up and down the hall. She will be released today and we will go stay at her hosts family apartment which is a 2 bedroom living room, kitchen (no fridge and a single burner hot plate) and bathroom. There are 7 people plus ________ living there. She was given the master bedroom as it is part of the contract they have with Teach & Learn Georgia. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to keep ________ in your prayers as she heals."

As has always been my experience in that part of the world, very caring medical professionals working with very out of date equipment and aesthetics. All is well...