Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) hosted a charity event with the participation of students, graduates, and the Georgian Student Association of Public Health (GSAPH). The event was held within the framework of Pink October and was dedicated to raising awareness about breast cancer. The main goal of the event was to inform the public, increase the importance of early detection and strengthen patient support.

As part of the event, TMA invited a renowned mammologist, endocrine surgeon, skin and soft tissue surgeon, oncologist, Dr. Soso Sanikidze. The speaker discussed the importance of breast cancer screening and the relationship that is formed between the patient and the doctor. He also discussed the symptoms of breast cancer, signs of detection and the need for timely diagnosis. “I am glad that I had a meeting with students, future colleagues. As you know, October is the month of raising awareness about breast cancer and we talked about the importance of timely diagnosis, self-examination, screening or radiological studies. There was a high level of interaction from the students, which is gratifying. It is important to make at least a small contribution to their development, to give them the right positioning in terms of choosing a profession. Since, in general, medicine, including oncology, is a rather difficult field,” noted Dr. Soso Sanikidze.

The event was also attended by Zhana Babunashvili, the Regional Director of “Europa Donna Georgia” and a member of the Board of the Caucasus Onco-Society “HOPE” She shared her personal story with the audience, talking about the path she took from diagnosis to all stages of treatment, and especially highlighted the challenges and achievements.

The meeting was attended by TMA students, graduates, administrative and academic staff. Also, Maia Metonidze, the Vice-President of the Georgian Union of the Deaf, and members of the union, for whom a sign language interpreter simultaneously translated the event. This made the meeting more inclusive and accessible to all participants.

“As a graduate of the Academy and a doctor, I, along with my future colleagues who work alongside me, believe that supporting patients is our social responsibility. Doctors, we should be as involved as possible in helping those people who need our support,” said Ana Gabrichidze, a graduate of TMA and the President of the Georgian Student Association of Public Health.

The evening ended with a concert by the group “Mgzavrebi”. The proceeds from the event were fully transferred to the Caucasus Onco-Society “Hope”, which unites women who have defeated breast cancer or are currently going through this path.

The event was supported by “Pepsi” and “Dunkin Donuts”.