ARMENIAN HEALTH MINISTRY CANNOT ORGANIZE PROVISION OF FREE INSULIN TO HEALTH CENTERS, AN EXPERT THINKS
ArmInfo
2011-01-27 17:23:00
ArmInfo. The Armenian Health Ministry cannot organize provision of
free insulin and other medicaments for diabetics to health centers,
endocrinologist Bamine Baghramyan, Deputy Director of the Yerevan
Medical Center, said at today's press conference.
She pointed out that the obligations of provision and distribution
of medicaments within the frames of the government order are carried
out by the Armenian Health Ministry. The disorderliness was mostly
displayed in 2010, when 2-3 months of delay were fixed.
"The diabetics can stand in a queue for several hours and then hear
about the lack of the necessary medicaments", Baghramyan said. She
added that the health centers receive insufficient quantity of
medicaments to provide all the patients with. "1.5 years ago I worked
at a health center, I had 1500 diabetics who needed pills. At the same
time, I received about 60 packages with 60 pills in each", she said.
She added that the official data of the statistics, according to
which there are about 2 thsd diabetics in Armenia, have nothing to
do with the reality. "About 6 thsd diabetics are registered in the
polyclinic No19 alone", she said.
A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told ArmInfo correspondent
that she has been receiving medicaments for her father at one of the
Yerevan polyclinics for many years. "I have to stand in a queue from
7 am, while the doctors' work starts at 10 am. If everything goes
right, my turn will be at about 11 am. I receive the prescription
from the doctor, go to the chief therapist, who is to put the stamp,
and then go to the chief nurse, who gives me the medicaments. Here
also I have to stand in a queue for hours and receive the medicaments
only by 1 pm", she said. According to the woman, all the patients
strive to receive the medicaments on the day the polyclinic receives;
otherwise they may remain without any medicaments at all.
She added that the prescribed medicaments are not always available, so
sometimes patients are offered substitutes. "Here the choice is yours:
you can agree or refuse to take the substitutes", she said and added
that such lawlessness is observed not at all the polyclinics. "For
instance, I know a polyclinic where the primary care physician tells
the patients in advance that the polyclinic has received the necessary
medicaments. At other polyclinics only the prescription is given to the
patients, and the medicaments are provided at the drugstore", she said.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to receive the official comment of
the Health Ministry, as the Press Secretary of the Ministry Shushan
Hunanyan was at consultations from 3 pm till the end of the work
shift. However, it was already senseless to call at 5:40 pm: no one
replied to the telephone call.
From: A. Papazian
ArmInfo
2011-01-27 17:23:00
ArmInfo. The Armenian Health Ministry cannot organize provision of
free insulin and other medicaments for diabetics to health centers,
endocrinologist Bamine Baghramyan, Deputy Director of the Yerevan
Medical Center, said at today's press conference.
She pointed out that the obligations of provision and distribution
of medicaments within the frames of the government order are carried
out by the Armenian Health Ministry. The disorderliness was mostly
displayed in 2010, when 2-3 months of delay were fixed.
"The diabetics can stand in a queue for several hours and then hear
about the lack of the necessary medicaments", Baghramyan said. She
added that the health centers receive insufficient quantity of
medicaments to provide all the patients with. "1.5 years ago I worked
at a health center, I had 1500 diabetics who needed pills. At the same
time, I received about 60 packages with 60 pills in each", she said.
She added that the official data of the statistics, according to
which there are about 2 thsd diabetics in Armenia, have nothing to
do with the reality. "About 6 thsd diabetics are registered in the
polyclinic No19 alone", she said.
A woman, who wished to remain anonymous, told ArmInfo correspondent
that she has been receiving medicaments for her father at one of the
Yerevan polyclinics for many years. "I have to stand in a queue from
7 am, while the doctors' work starts at 10 am. If everything goes
right, my turn will be at about 11 am. I receive the prescription
from the doctor, go to the chief therapist, who is to put the stamp,
and then go to the chief nurse, who gives me the medicaments. Here
also I have to stand in a queue for hours and receive the medicaments
only by 1 pm", she said. According to the woman, all the patients
strive to receive the medicaments on the day the polyclinic receives;
otherwise they may remain without any medicaments at all.
She added that the prescribed medicaments are not always available, so
sometimes patients are offered substitutes. "Here the choice is yours:
you can agree or refuse to take the substitutes", she said and added
that such lawlessness is observed not at all the polyclinics. "For
instance, I know a polyclinic where the primary care physician tells
the patients in advance that the polyclinic has received the necessary
medicaments. At other polyclinics only the prescription is given to the
patients, and the medicaments are provided at the drugstore", she said.
Unfortunately, it was impossible to receive the official comment of
the Health Ministry, as the Press Secretary of the Ministry Shushan
Hunanyan was at consultations from 3 pm till the end of the work
shift. However, it was already senseless to call at 5:40 pm: no one
replied to the telephone call.
From: A. Papazian