Why is early diagnosis important? And how does screening help save lives? Tbilisi Medical Academy (TMA) students visited the Georgian National Screening Center to discuss these topics.

The students were hosted by the Director of the Screening Center, Dr. Eter Kughuradze, who is also an alumnus of the Tbilisi Medical Academy. She introduced the students to the specifics of the center’s work and shared her own professional experience with an emphasis on the importance of prevention and the necessity of a timely diagnosis.

“It is a great honor for me to host the students of Tbilisi Medical Academy, as I am also a graduate of this university. We gave the students the opportunity to see on-site the procedures and resources that the Screening Center has and uses to provide screening services. We also introduced the students to the preventive services that the Center offers to citizens. It is important for them to spread the information and inform each person around them that screening is of paramount importance for our health and quality of life,” said Dr. Eter Kiguradze.

In addition, the Director of the Center introduced the students to the screening programs currently operating in Georgia, talked about the existing challenges and future plans.

“Today’s visit to the National Screening Center was a very interesting and useful experience. The director of the center showed us the equipment, explained how the procedures are performed, and answered all our questions in detail. The visit made me realize how important early diagnosis and patient care are”, said Ekaterine Kherdinashvili, a first-year student at the TMA.

The meeting was held as part of the “Pink October” awareness-raising campaign. The campaign aims to raise awareness about breast cancer and, at the same time, inform the population about the screening program.