[Urgent problems of occupational diseases in Georgia in the junction of XX-XXI centuries].

The radical reform of health care system in Georgia after the collapse of the Soviet Union negatively affected the occupational medicine, environmental medicine, occupational health services, and preventive measures. The level of medical assistance to people suffering from harmful industrial factors decreased, which is a serious danger for the health of the workers and for the next generations. The aim of the article is to protect the right to means for adequate health and suggest effective ways for health care improvement. In order to reconstruct the system of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, it is necessary to create a network of occupational healthcare. We strongly believe investment in preventive health is vital to safeguard and improve the health of the community. The Center of Occupational Medicine and the Institute of Labor Medicine and Ecology with corresponding financing, educational programs for medical students and continuous practice of physicians in occupational medicine, enhancing the number of the scientific research designed to discover the early forms of occupational pathologies and timely prevention of the disease is vital to protect the right to means for adequate health, to advance the professional development of physicians, nurses, research scientists, and allied health professionals in order to diminish general and occupational diseases in Georgia.

[Occupational medicine -- past, present and the future trends].

State of the occupational medicine in Georgia -- performing investigations in the field of occupational illnesses, providing workers with the occupational health services, training of the medical staff in higher educational institutions, perspectives of occupational health services for workers and personnel, having professional contact with hazardous factors were discussed. The major stages of the development of occupational medicine, since the foundation of the occupational health services in Georgia, till today, were presented. The principal mistakes made in organizational -- practical, educational, methodical, research practices in public institution managing the training of the scientific and practical personnel of occupational medicine were evaluated. On the basis of the present state of occupational medicine in the country some principal conclusions were made. These conclusions state that immediate measures should be taken for the development of the modern occupational health services. It is necessary to work out some new strategies and to restore old and proved actions.