Veteran of War Returns His Medal
A group of veterans of war in Karabakh went on a sit-in at Freedom
Square a few days ago. They demand more attention from the government,
a higher pension and dignified life.
Vardan Amirjanyan is not on Freedom Square, he is at Armenia Medical
Center, and his leg was amputated. Vardan Amirjanyan with his brother
and father fought till the last day of the war. They were in Hadrut
region. During the war he was injured but did not stay at the hospital
to get a treatment. He went to the post to join his soldiers. His foot
got frozen, and he started having problems with blood vessels in his
leg. Eventually he got gangrene, and his foot was amputated.
The ministry of defense refused to help him with 170,000 drams. In
addition, despite the promise to respond to his letter within 15 days
he got the refusal only three months later. They said assistance
should be provided by the ministry of labor and social affairs, not
the ministry of defense. Eventually the government of NKR covered his
expenses.
Now Vardan Amirjanyan needs 500-1000 dollars for prosthesis. The
authorities of Karabakh are ready to help him but there the quality
will not be satisfactory.
`There is total indifference. I went to the ministry of social
affairs, they said you live in Karabakh so you must apply here, I say
the quality is not good here, the German ones are good,' he said.
Now the veteran returns his Garegin Nzhdeh medal which he received
from the minister of defense.
`I get a II degree disability benefit of 23,000 drams. Every year I
must be re-checked, my leg might grow,' he jokes. Then he gets
serious. `How will they go to war again if they see that the veterans
are humiliated, receive no assistance, the minister does not take care
about them...'
11:41 13/05/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/society/view/29861
A group of veterans of war in Karabakh went on a sit-in at Freedom
Square a few days ago. They demand more attention from the government,
a higher pension and dignified life.
Vardan Amirjanyan is not on Freedom Square, he is at Armenia Medical
Center, and his leg was amputated. Vardan Amirjanyan with his brother
and father fought till the last day of the war. They were in Hadrut
region. During the war he was injured but did not stay at the hospital
to get a treatment. He went to the post to join his soldiers. His foot
got frozen, and he started having problems with blood vessels in his
leg. Eventually he got gangrene, and his foot was amputated.
The ministry of defense refused to help him with 170,000 drams. In
addition, despite the promise to respond to his letter within 15 days
he got the refusal only three months later. They said assistance
should be provided by the ministry of labor and social affairs, not
the ministry of defense. Eventually the government of NKR covered his
expenses.
Now Vardan Amirjanyan needs 500-1000 dollars for prosthesis. The
authorities of Karabakh are ready to help him but there the quality
will not be satisfactory.
`There is total indifference. I went to the ministry of social
affairs, they said you live in Karabakh so you must apply here, I say
the quality is not good here, the German ones are good,' he said.
Now the veteran returns his Garegin Nzhdeh medal which he received
from the minister of defense.
`I get a II degree disability benefit of 23,000 drams. Every year I
must be re-checked, my leg might grow,' he jokes. Then he gets
serious. `How will they go to war again if they see that the veterans
are humiliated, receive no assistance, the minister does not take care
about them...'
11:41 13/05/2013
Story from Lragir.am News:
http://www.lragir.am/index/eng/0/society/view/29861