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Witness firsthand the difficulties faced in Guria's hospitals.

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STORY
Schools without books or, sometimes, even chairs. Hospitals without secure electricity or modern medicines. Problems with education and healthcare are legion throughout Georgia, but in the western region of Guria, one of the country’s poorest, the situation is particularly acute.

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PROMISES vs. RESULTS
Saakashvili promised computers, the health ministry promised ambulances. But has Guria gotten what it needs to revamp sub-standard schools and hospitals?

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AT A GLANCE
Population: 160,600
Size: 2,000 sq. km
Main Town: Ozurgeti (pop: 23,279)
Average salary: 73 GEL (about $40) per month (2003)

Thanks to its Black Sea coastline, Guria has been a region long on the defensive.

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GEORGIAN VOICES
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"There should be fewer bureaucrats than people in the Education Ministry."

Khatuna Tsilsani,
Teacher, Chokhatauri

"Tbilisi is the only place where you can get a decent education."

Merab Darchia,
Unemployed, Ozurgeti

"What has changed since the Rose Revolution? Absolutely nothing."

Anonymous,
Pensioner, Chokhatauri