Armenia’s Health Care Is Modernizing June 11, 2009 - Aragats, a picturesque village in the Armavir region of Armenia, has had to struggle for decades to provide proper healthcare for its residents. The clinic used to be located in an old building, with very poor conditions − a leaking roof, hardly any heating, no separate waiting room, and only limited and out-dated equipment. Moreover, most villagers had to travel a long distance to the town of Vagarshapat, the regional center, to get regular check- ups and to receive medication.

Sixty-year old Shirine is a diabetic who has sought monthly

Public Disclosure Authorized medical check-ups and vital medicine for years. “I used to travel 16 kilometers every month to get my tests done and to receive the medicine that I needed. Now I am happy, I have access to quality treatment in my own village,” said Shirine.

Healthcare will never be the same in Aragats, owing to the Health System Modernization Project sponsored by the World 60-year old Shirine does not need Bank. The fully-equipped new clinic located in a reconstructed to travel 16 km to receive the medicine anymore. building provides health services to over 4,300 people of Multimedia Aragats and the neighboring Tsaghkalanj communities. The Video: Armenia’s Health Care clinic has separate rooms for doctors and nurses, is Modernizing consultations, examinations, and reception. Related Links Family physician Dr. Lala Vagharshakyan noticed, that Press Release : World Bank since the clinic opened, the number of patients willing to visit Launches New Partnership Public Disclosure Authorized a doctor has been steadily growing, not because of any Strategy With Armenia increase in health problems, but rather owing to the Press Release: Armenian confidence among the residents. She stressed that “Thanks to this laboratory and the opportunity of doing various testings, Report: Country Partnership we are able not only to treat patients properly but to also Strategy prevent or do early diagnosis of illnesses, especially of the Project Story: When The children." Heating Is No Longer an Issue 116 similar clinics have been restored across Armenia under Project Story: Nature’s the health project. Reward Reaches Armenian Homes Dr. Vagharshakyan is one of many doctors who have passed the 12-month Family Medicine Training Program and who are In Depth now working as family physicians. Armenia was one of the Public Disclosure Authorized : www.worldbank.org.am first countries in the CIS to establish the Chairs of Family Medicine at the State Medical University, National Institute of Health and Basic Medical College. The departments were renovated, furnished, and equipped with computers, medical equipment, skills-enhancing labs, and other training resources. So far, more than 1,800 family physicians and over 800 family nurses have already been retrained.

While the local family clinics are vital for routine treatment and early diagnosis, hospitals are critical for successful The fully-equipped new clinic located in a reconstructed building healthcare. St. Mary’s Medical Center in Yerevan provides provides health services to over services both for adults and for children. Most of the hospital 4,300 people of Aragats and the departments have been completely renovated and furnished neighboring Tsaghkalanj under this Project. The atmosphere in the modernized communities. departments is now totally different. The intensive care unit Public Disclosure Authorized has been equipped with state-of-the-art technology, along with the operating theatres and diagnostic departments of the hospital. “The conditions have significantly changed, both for the patients and for the doctors. We now have better facilities to take care of patients in a more professional way” said Dr. Anna Chobanyan, Head of the Intensive Care Unit, proudly showing off the new unit for prematurely born babies. Dr. Anna Chobanyan, Head of the Rejoicing for one of the babies she points to behind the glass Intensive Care Unit. – she said the baby is now healthy and ready to go home with its parents. “Without such equipment, most of these babies wouldn’t survive,” she added.

Once hospital modernization in the capital of Yerevan has been completed, the second phase of the project will be replicating this in regional hospitals.