Kutaisi Doctors visit Newport
April and May 2009

Following a visit to Kutaisi by three Newport consultant doctors in 2008, Dr Nana Dzidziguri arrived with interpreter Ekaterina Archvadze, for a short visit in April to attend a medical conference at Exeter College, Oxford organised by Dr Davies.

Dr NanaDzidziguri, Ekaterina Archvadze with NKA member Jan Tyson. Standing Rusa Murusidze

She was followed in May by another five doctors from Kutaisi who were invited to attend a medical symposium at the Post Graduate Medical Centre in Newport as guests of Dr. John Davies of the Gwent Health Trust. These were Surgeon,Dr. Mirian Cheishvili, Cardiologist, Dr. Zaza Lominadze, Oculist, Dr. Shalva Jikia, Gynecologist, Dr. Mamuka Mikadzea and Surgeon, Dr. Zurab Abuladze,

They attended post-graduate activities and contributed to continuing education projects at the Royal Gwent Hospital Newport.

A post-graduate conference was organised to highlight particular interesting aspects of each individual specialty and to share of activities between post-graduate medicine in Georgia and Wales.

The exchange of visits resulted from a successful request made to Dr Hunter, at the time Director of the Gwent Health Trust, in 2008 by the Newport Kutaisi Twinning Association asking if previous links between medical experts in the two cities which were formed under the auspices of the NKTA in the early 1990s and continued for over ten years, could be renewed.

As with the visit to Kutaisi in 2008, both of this year’s visits to Newport included study tours of Newport hospitals, together with an opportunity to meet and hold discussions of mutual interest and concern with doctors with similar areas of medical expertise.

Discussions on a programme for future co-operation and exchanges were initiated and are continuing. For instance, during their stay the Georgian visitors proposed further visits to study management procedures in Wales in detail. Dr Melkadze stayed in Newport several times during the 1990’s medical link-up and he was pleased to inform his hosts that his successful clinic in Kutaisi is in many ways organised along the management structures in place in Newport at the time.

The second party were met at Heathrow by NKTA members, Cllr. Charles Ferris and Derek Butler and brought to Newport where Dr John Davies, Consultant Cardiologist took them to his house in Usk for dinner.

On their first day the doctors were taken on a study tour of the Royal Gwent Hospital, including observation of surgical procedures in theatre. A buffet lunch, attended by the Mayor and Mayoress of Newport, members of the NKTA, doctors and other staff from the Royal Gwent Hospital preceded a Symposium.

The Mayor of Newport, Cllr Glyn Jarvis, and Joint President of Newport Kutaisi Association opened the Symposium by welcoming the guests from Kutaisi.

During the Symposium Dr John Davies, Dr Stephen Hunter and Dr Brian Stephenson announced the formation of the Newport Kutaisi Medical Association. It is hoped to develop a cross-specialty register of clinicians willing to share electronic dialogue with Kutaisi clinicians. It is also hoped to establish regularised clinical attachments and a discussion took place with Dr Mamuka Mikadze about the practicalities of setting this in place.

On Friday evening the doctors were taken to dinner with the families of Drs. Davies, Hunter and Stephenson.

Lunch at The Ffrrwm Caerleon	Near Kutaisi Walk

On Saturday Catherine Philpott, Sonia Fisher and Cllr. David Mayer took the visitors on a tour of Newport. Famous landmarks such as the Transporter Bridge and Tredegar House were visited. However, the highlight of the day was a visit to Kutaisi Walk. This is the river path that runs between Newport’s old town bridge and the new pedestrian bridge, a most prestigious site, an important city feature. Our visitors were the first visiting Georgians to walk along this route.

At the Transporter Bridge	Tredgar House and Park
A Medieval Surgeon at the Newport Ship Open Day in Maesglas	Dressed as a Medieval Archer more pictures of the visit

The party visited a special exhibition of Newport’s medieval ship. This historic vessel was found in the river mud during the building of a new Arts Centre for Newport.

Here they met a ‘medieval’ surgeon complete with medieval surgical instruments and a live leech in a jar. One of the doctors( above right) dressed in the armour of a medieval archer. They were also able to watch how money was made and then proceeded to strike their own ‘ancient’ coins courtesy of Councillor Charles Ferris who is one of re-enactment volunteers who popularise the importance of the ship in Newport's history.

Travelling on to the old Roman town of Caerleon to have lunch they met long-standing member of the NKTA, Dr Russell Rhys, a former Caerleon GP.

In Catherine’s garden they were amazed to see a ‘jaloupa’ on her garage roof, which she had brought back from one of her trips to Kutaisi.

That evening, the doctors were entertained at a pre-concert reception before being welcomed at the Cathedral by the Dean of Monmouth where they enjoyed a concert of music.

On the final day NKTA members, Rosemary Butler AM, Derek Butler, Cllr. Gail Giles and Caroline McLachlan took the doctors to Cardiff Bay. Here they were able to see how the Welsh capital city of Cardiff has developed over recent years and they had an opportunity, through Rosemary, to visit the National Assembly for Wales building.

On their return to Newport everyone was invited to lunch with Vera Brown, Secretary NKTA. There they were able to relax in her lovely garden before setting off for London to attend another medical conference.