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VISIT TO TAVUSH REGION
By Naira Poghossian And Sevak Hakobian
Yerkir, Armenia
Nov 27 2006
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation restarted its visits to the
regions of Armenia with a visit to Tavush region. During these visits
meetings with students, community authorities and residents as well
as visits to clinics and schools are organized.
The issues raised during such meetings are consistently followed
up and settled. Last week Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly
Vahan Hovhannissian, representative of ARF's Supreme Body, NA deputy
Armen Rustamian, Ministers of Healthcare, Agriculture, and Science
and Education Norayr Davidian, Davit Lokian and Levon Mkrtchian,
as well as members of ARF's Armenia Supreme Body visited Tavush region.
New departments will be opened at Ijevan University
The Ijevan branch of Yerevan State University has 1373 students. The
university has a number of departments. This year a distance learning
department for education was opened at the university. "32 teachers
were accepted to the distance learning department.
These are mostly teachers from the remote border villages. The tuition
fees for them are very low but a contract is signed with them to
ensure that after finishing these courses they will continue working
in their schools," rector of Ijevan University Samvel Arakelian
says. The rector suggested that a department of English language
should be opened at the university.
"The 82 schools of Tavush region lack teachers of foreign languages.
None of the students from this region who graduate from language
departments in Yerevan has returned to the region," Arakelian noted.
The Minister of Science and Education Levon Mkrtchian welcomed this
idea. Mkrtchian and Vahan Hovhannissian met the students and faculty
of the university.
Among the issues raised by the students were the necessity to establish
post-graduate studies programmes, establishment of a research center
on the historical and cultural monuments in the region, issues related
with professional orientation of the students.
Mkrtchian stressed the importance of professional orientation noting
that the Ministry is planning to produce brochures and organize
various events to assist the youth with their professional orientation.
The students addressed their questions regarding the Hay Dat
activities, Armenia's domestic and foreign policy to Vahan
Hovhannissian.
Hovhannissian called on the students to take the ownership of
the country, to participate actively in the processes going on in
Armenia. Rector of the Ijevan University Samvel Arakelian awarded
Education Minister Mkrtchian the title of honorable professor of the
university for the latter's contribution to the improvement of the
education system in the country.
Community issues
The ARF delegation had a meeting with residents of Tavush region.
Among the issues raised by Tavush residents were the necessity for
renovation of the community schools and cultural centers, and provision
of agricultural credits.
The Mayors of two villages complaint that the town of Ijevan is
appropriating their agricultural lands. One of the Mayors assured
that his village does not even have a border with Ijevan. The village
residents are protesting against such arbitrary actions and demand
not to take their lands or at least find a consensus solution.
The village of Berkaber is facing a different problem - as one of
the local self-government employees informed, the village has debts
of 5 million drams accumulated over the period of 1997-2000. "The
problems is that our agricultural lands are close to the border
with Azerbaijan and it is impossible to use these lands. Therefore,
the village cannot collect taxes. We are asking your assistance with
this issue," Yurik Tamrazian from Berkaber said.
The village residents complained that they cannot receive credits
even though the interest rates for such credits go up every year.
There were some problems connected with natural gas pipelines. One
of the village mayors requested assistance with completing the
gasification of the village since the community itself does not have
enough resources for laying the gas pipeline.
Teghut Village
Teghut village has 400 households with a total population of 1600
people. The village mayor Gevorg Tamrazian said one of the problems
in the village was lack of a kindergarten. Currently, an arrangement
has been made with the Governor's Office and the school building will
be used to host a kindergarten.
The village clinic lacks necessary medicines and equipment. The
Healthcare Minster Norayr Davidian promised to follow up on this
issue. The bridge connecting the village road to the main highway
has been renovated with the assistance of the Agriculture Minister
Davit Lokian.
The village school was renovated in 2004. However, the school lacks
furniture, books and computers. Director of the school Melanya
Poghossian assures that there are good teachers in the village but
they do not have any access to professional training programs.
Minister Levon Mkrtchian assured that the Ministry will assist the
school with procurement of furniture and computers.
People were surprised to see officials in their villages
The residents of Teghut village had not seen so many high-ranked
officials in their community for a long time. Many of them brought
written complaints. Among the issues raised by the village residents
were problems connected with return of bank savings, low pensions and
social benefits. Vahan Hovhannissian addressed these issues explaining
that the 2007 budget envisages increase of pensions and benefits, as
well as introduction of a more flexible system for benefit allocation.
There were many complaints connected with healthcare services - even
though the healthcare services in policlinics should be provided free
of charge, many people complained that the doctors demand payment
for their services.
Director of the policlinic in Dilijan Greta Zhamharian assured
that the clinic provides free of charge healthcare services but the
population is not aware that such services should be delivered free
of charge. The Minister also assured that expired medicaments are
not allowed to be imported to Armenia. At the same time, 150 tons
of expired medicaments are accumulated in the country since their
destruction requires significant financial resources.
Patients in Dilijan prefer to get treatment in Yerevan
Healthcare Minister Norayr Davidian met with the staff and patients
at the Dilijan city hospital. He noted that the hospital's budget
has increased since 2003 amounting to 40 million drams in 2006. The
hospital has received new equipment. However, the main problem it is
facing is lack of an emergency ambulance vehicle.
The new building of the hospital was completed this year and it has
modern equipment. Renovation works are currently underway in the
remaining buildings of the hospital. The Minister noted that the
number of patients in the hospital will decrease since now they will
be able to receive free of charge treatment in the policlinics. The
Minister expressed his concern that only 20 out of 90 beds in the
hospital are used.
Davidian stated he was against laying off hospital staff. He
promised that their salaries will be raised in 2007. One of the
doctors complained that those patients who have money prefer to get
treatment in hospitals in Yerevan even though the hospital in Dilijan
has highly qualified staff and doctors. The Minster noted that the
doctors should try to improve the services they provide since the
fact that patients go to Yerevan to get treatment means that they do
not trust the local doctors.
The healthcare sector is developing
Minister Norayr Davidian assured that Armenia is among top countries in
terms of the development of the healthcare sector. The money allocated
to procurement of medical equipment is increased every year.
The healthcare sector has received grants of 50 million dollars due
to the accomplished improvements. Funding is allocated for retraining
of doctors. Equipment is provided to the hospitals and clinics based
on their requests through the governor's offices. Upon the request
of the head of surgery department, the Minister promised to provide
the hospital an X-Ray equipment.
Attendance to policlinics doubled
The policlinic's budget amounted to 79 million drams this year, the
Minister stated. Attendance to the policlinic has doubled after the
services provided here were made free of charge.
The director of the policlinic Greta Zhamharian noted that the
information posters provided by the Healthcare Ministry were very
important in terms of raising the population's awareness as to the
services provided. The Ministry also assists the clinic with medical
supplies and equipment.
The series of regional visits organized by ARF's Supreme Body will
continue to cover all regions of Armenia and the issues raised by the
population will be addressed and solved to the maximum extent possible.
By Naira Poghossian And Sevak Hakobian
Yerkir, Armenia
Nov 27 2006
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation restarted its visits to the
regions of Armenia with a visit to Tavush region. During these visits
meetings with students, community authorities and residents as well
as visits to clinics and schools are organized.
The issues raised during such meetings are consistently followed
up and settled. Last week Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly
Vahan Hovhannissian, representative of ARF's Supreme Body, NA deputy
Armen Rustamian, Ministers of Healthcare, Agriculture, and Science
and Education Norayr Davidian, Davit Lokian and Levon Mkrtchian,
as well as members of ARF's Armenia Supreme Body visited Tavush region.
New departments will be opened at Ijevan University
The Ijevan branch of Yerevan State University has 1373 students. The
university has a number of departments. This year a distance learning
department for education was opened at the university. "32 teachers
were accepted to the distance learning department.
These are mostly teachers from the remote border villages. The tuition
fees for them are very low but a contract is signed with them to
ensure that after finishing these courses they will continue working
in their schools," rector of Ijevan University Samvel Arakelian
says. The rector suggested that a department of English language
should be opened at the university.
"The 82 schools of Tavush region lack teachers of foreign languages.
None of the students from this region who graduate from language
departments in Yerevan has returned to the region," Arakelian noted.
The Minister of Science and Education Levon Mkrtchian welcomed this
idea. Mkrtchian and Vahan Hovhannissian met the students and faculty
of the university.
Among the issues raised by the students were the necessity to establish
post-graduate studies programmes, establishment of a research center
on the historical and cultural monuments in the region, issues related
with professional orientation of the students.
Mkrtchian stressed the importance of professional orientation noting
that the Ministry is planning to produce brochures and organize
various events to assist the youth with their professional orientation.
The students addressed their questions regarding the Hay Dat
activities, Armenia's domestic and foreign policy to Vahan
Hovhannissian.
Hovhannissian called on the students to take the ownership of
the country, to participate actively in the processes going on in
Armenia. Rector of the Ijevan University Samvel Arakelian awarded
Education Minister Mkrtchian the title of honorable professor of the
university for the latter's contribution to the improvement of the
education system in the country.
Community issues
The ARF delegation had a meeting with residents of Tavush region.
Among the issues raised by Tavush residents were the necessity for
renovation of the community schools and cultural centers, and provision
of agricultural credits.
The Mayors of two villages complaint that the town of Ijevan is
appropriating their agricultural lands. One of the Mayors assured
that his village does not even have a border with Ijevan. The village
residents are protesting against such arbitrary actions and demand
not to take their lands or at least find a consensus solution.
The village of Berkaber is facing a different problem - as one of
the local self-government employees informed, the village has debts
of 5 million drams accumulated over the period of 1997-2000. "The
problems is that our agricultural lands are close to the border
with Azerbaijan and it is impossible to use these lands. Therefore,
the village cannot collect taxes. We are asking your assistance with
this issue," Yurik Tamrazian from Berkaber said.
The village residents complained that they cannot receive credits
even though the interest rates for such credits go up every year.
There were some problems connected with natural gas pipelines. One
of the village mayors requested assistance with completing the
gasification of the village since the community itself does not have
enough resources for laying the gas pipeline.
Teghut Village
Teghut village has 400 households with a total population of 1600
people. The village mayor Gevorg Tamrazian said one of the problems
in the village was lack of a kindergarten. Currently, an arrangement
has been made with the Governor's Office and the school building will
be used to host a kindergarten.
The village clinic lacks necessary medicines and equipment. The
Healthcare Minster Norayr Davidian promised to follow up on this
issue. The bridge connecting the village road to the main highway
has been renovated with the assistance of the Agriculture Minister
Davit Lokian.
The village school was renovated in 2004. However, the school lacks
furniture, books and computers. Director of the school Melanya
Poghossian assures that there are good teachers in the village but
they do not have any access to professional training programs.
Minister Levon Mkrtchian assured that the Ministry will assist the
school with procurement of furniture and computers.
People were surprised to see officials in their villages
The residents of Teghut village had not seen so many high-ranked
officials in their community for a long time. Many of them brought
written complaints. Among the issues raised by the village residents
were problems connected with return of bank savings, low pensions and
social benefits. Vahan Hovhannissian addressed these issues explaining
that the 2007 budget envisages increase of pensions and benefits, as
well as introduction of a more flexible system for benefit allocation.
There were many complaints connected with healthcare services - even
though the healthcare services in policlinics should be provided free
of charge, many people complained that the doctors demand payment
for their services.
Director of the policlinic in Dilijan Greta Zhamharian assured
that the clinic provides free of charge healthcare services but the
population is not aware that such services should be delivered free
of charge. The Minister also assured that expired medicaments are
not allowed to be imported to Armenia. At the same time, 150 tons
of expired medicaments are accumulated in the country since their
destruction requires significant financial resources.
Patients in Dilijan prefer to get treatment in Yerevan
Healthcare Minister Norayr Davidian met with the staff and patients
at the Dilijan city hospital. He noted that the hospital's budget
has increased since 2003 amounting to 40 million drams in 2006. The
hospital has received new equipment. However, the main problem it is
facing is lack of an emergency ambulance vehicle.
The new building of the hospital was completed this year and it has
modern equipment. Renovation works are currently underway in the
remaining buildings of the hospital. The Minister noted that the
number of patients in the hospital will decrease since now they will
be able to receive free of charge treatment in the policlinics. The
Minister expressed his concern that only 20 out of 90 beds in the
hospital are used.
Davidian stated he was against laying off hospital staff. He
promised that their salaries will be raised in 2007. One of the
doctors complained that those patients who have money prefer to get
treatment in hospitals in Yerevan even though the hospital in Dilijan
has highly qualified staff and doctors. The Minster noted that the
doctors should try to improve the services they provide since the
fact that patients go to Yerevan to get treatment means that they do
not trust the local doctors.
The healthcare sector is developing
Minister Norayr Davidian assured that Armenia is among top countries in
terms of the development of the healthcare sector. The money allocated
to procurement of medical equipment is increased every year.
The healthcare sector has received grants of 50 million dollars due
to the accomplished improvements. Funding is allocated for retraining
of doctors. Equipment is provided to the hospitals and clinics based
on their requests through the governor's offices. Upon the request
of the head of surgery department, the Minister promised to provide
the hospital an X-Ray equipment.
Attendance to policlinics doubled
The policlinic's budget amounted to 79 million drams this year, the
Minister stated. Attendance to the policlinic has doubled after the
services provided here were made free of charge.
The director of the policlinic Greta Zhamharian noted that the
information posters provided by the Healthcare Ministry were very
important in terms of raising the population's awareness as to the
services provided. The Ministry also assists the clinic with medical
supplies and equipment.
The series of regional visits organized by ARF's Supreme Body will
continue to cover all regions of Armenia and the issues raised by the
population will be addressed and solved to the maximum extent possible.