– Mr. Kushkyan, several years ago the anti-corruption department at the president’s office found out that one of the most corrupt fields was health care and education. Do you think that the situation is the same now too?
– Generally I can’t combine the term “corrupt” with health care since health care is very humanistic and doesn’t fit with such understanding. However, there are shady processes in the health care system, which are a result of many years starting from the Soviet times. For this purpose today new solutions and mechanisms are being created to manage the health care system effectively and prevent such shortcomings. It is also worth mentioning that the financial contributions by the government to ambulatory and stationery medical centers, which are growing every year, provide an opportunity to cover their expenses and gradually increase salaries, which will support to solve those problems too. Also, I think that re-allocation of state orders will bring to good results too. We expect good changes as a result of applying the mechanism of mandatory and voluntary medical insurance mechanisms.
– The laws governing the health care system are very humanistic and include the rights of the disabled, mentally sick and other people to get medical treatment free of charge, but those provisions are on the paper and still have to be applied. People, who have cancer, usually buy medicines themselves and such medicines are very expensive. They don’t get free medicines by state order. I think you know about such examples too.
– Yes, the health care legislation is very humanistic and I can assure that it will not stay on the paper. Due to optimal re-allocation of the financial resources provided by the budget we have succeeded in making the ambulatory system treatments free of charge. It means that the first instance of health care, which is very essential for people, is operating effectively. Additional sums have been provided to cover the stationery treatment expenses of such patients. As for the disabled people and patients who have cancer, it is worth mentioning that in 2007 about 111.372 patients have been provided with medicines worth of total 1,416,300,000 amount free of charge, which reached about 60-70% of such patients. Besides that, medicines of first need worth of 1,119,506,000 dram have been provided to citizens through polyclinic services. As I said there are medicines that are very expensive and even rich countries cannot give to their citizens, accordingly the health care ministry’s department in charge of medicines and first aid is preparing a list of substituting medicines to provide good treatment for almost all groups of needy citizens.
– You said that the shady operation within the health care system comes from the Soviet times. By the way, most of our doctors have worked in that period too. It seems that those people, despite the good laws and budget distributions, don’t want to give up with their traditions and work without the soviet principles. Specifically, I can say a name (I said that name to Mr. Kushkyan), who claims 11,000 dram from the parents of disabled children to make sonograph.
– Doctors would like to work with new principles. I assure that doctors prefer not having financial relations with patients so that to make the relationship between doctors and patients more civil. I know the doctor you said very well, he is one of our famous doctors and does not work in Armenia any more. Separate cases are not a precedent to evaluate the entire system basing on such cases. Time will pass and I believe through system changes we will reach very good results. Patients should understand it too that it is not right to thank doctors that way as the state has already paid for their treatment.
-O ur people had demographic problems throughout its history. There are very effective mechanisms to render free healthcare services at maternity hospitals. It seems to me the law is regulating this field too, but it seems that such doctors are treating patients otherwise. I can bring examples when doctors did not let the patient leave from the hospital until they paid for the medical services.
– Citizens have always complained about this field. Often they complain not about financial problems, but the way they are treated. The moral and psychological environment at hospitals should be changed. However, it is not effective to solve those problems through administrative resources. Starting from June 1, 2008, additional one billion dram will be provided for maternity health care. This sum will be spent to pay salaries to medical staff and doctors. We should increase the salaries to the extent that doctors don’t expect any money than what they are getting from hospitals. I wish the needy group of citizens could not feel bad when going to visit doctors and feel good after getting good treatment at hospitals.
– Our correspondent Lusine Stepanyan periodically writes about extremely needy people, who are negated not only by people, but also by the state and doctors. The fact that often we are applying to you to ask for assistance connected with separate cases means that the health care system has not only financial but also moral problems.
– I would like to use this opportunity and thank your newspaper for informing us about such cases. It gives us an opportunity to provide medical treatment to such people and also learn about what is happening in different places. There isn’t any hospital where I haven’t been, I have also visited the rural regions, we have provided financial assistance, we are reforming the management system as well. In the future hospitals will execute contracts with the ministry and will take certain obligations, which will be strictly supervised by the ministry.
– Often mentally sick people are met in the street. Often when mentally sick people are banned by their friends and relatives, they become hoboes. As far as we know the hospitals in charge of mentally people don’t take such sick people without relatives under their care.
– There are no close doors; the treatment for mentally sick people is on a good level in our country. Every year we are trying to provide hospitals with better medicines. By the way, the statistics of the recent 2-3 years show that there hasn’t been growth of the number of mentally sick people. However, we can think about developing this sector in the future too.
– Recently there was such a case; a priest had an accident and got serious injuries, after getting medical treatment at Erebuni hospital for a long time he could not recover his health. However, later doctors were telling that there was a miracle and the priest recovered without any medical interference, and that story was recorded by camera. Later the priest told that when he lost his consciousness, he saw a saint. I don’t want to tell about this long. As a doctor, what do you think about such things?
– This appearance has not been examined to the extent of finding correct explanations. Definitely in the future it will be possible to examine the people, who unconsciously see something during apparent death and being in a terminal condition. There have been a lot of scientific and other works about this issue. I think that all what doctors are doing is important notwithstanding such successful outcome.
– Have you met such miracles in your life when patients recovered without a doctor’s interference?
– Hardly patients can be saved without the interference of doctors and due to angels’ help, but inspiration is very important.
– Do you believe in God?
– Sure I do.
– Do you think that the factor of belief is essential for doctor’s profession?
– Yes, I think it is. I think that a doctor should believe in God and his/her work. Believe me, good doctors are ready to sacrifice themselves and they are ready to sit close to a patient for hours without expecting anything instead.
– I suppose you follow the rules of healthy life. How dangerous are party membership, party meetings and activities for health?
– I can say that party membership is even encouraging. It is adrenaline. The party is a political power, through which you can contribute your potential to the country. By the way, I’d like to congratulate everyone for this festive season and wish everyone a happy New Year and Merry Christmas and wish them be healthy and successful in 2008.
– Let’s believe that the existing big number of political parties during this festive season is conditioned by their will to be healthy. Thank you.