On 17 April, Vanadzor Medical Center hosted two focus group discussions with doctors and nurses of the Medical Center within the framework of the “Healthy Body, in an Informed Mind” project implemented within the scope of the sub-grant provided by the EU-funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue” project.
Only the doctors from Vanadzor Medical Center were participating in the first focus group discussion. Ms Arev Petrosyan, the “Healthy Body, in an Informed Mind” Project Manager and Ms Melineh Gharakeshishyan the sociologist involved in the project, asked a number of questions regarding the general healthcare system and the order of services provided to the residents of Spitak.
The doctors pointed out a number of issues that should be submitted to the Ministry of Health within the framework of the project. Particularly, the problems were related to the need for compulsory health insurance, dissemination of inaccurate information on free medical care to the public, lack of public confidence in ambulatory-polyclinic medical institutions and other important issues.
The second focus group discussion was conducted with the nurses of Vanadzor Medical Center.
During the discussion, they raised issues related to salaries, lack of nurses and inaccurate placement.
One of the most important problems was the low quality of medicines and supplies, as they think that as a result of the procurement process the cheapest drugs and medical supplies are being purchased.
It should be noted that the main objective of the “Healthy Body, in an Informed Mind” project is to contribute to raising the awareness in the sector of healthcare in Lori marz.
The project is implemented by the “Spitak Helsinki Group” Human Rights NGO within the framework of the Sub-Grant provided in the scope of the EU funded “Commitment to Constructive Dialogue Project” implemented by a Consortium of NGOs led by the Armenian Lawyers’ Association.
