DEFENSE MINISTRY NOT OBLIGED TO FINANCE SOLDIERS' TREATMENT ABROAD: SPOKESPERSON
04.10.2015 13:04 epress.am
It is not appropriate for the RA Ministry of Defense to disclose
the number of soldiers who have returned home from their military
service with musculoskeletal problems or disorders, or the causes of
these injuries, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, spokesperson of the Ministry
of Defense of the Republic of Armenia said in a press conference on
Friday, April 10. Such data are confidential, as it can "create a
picture for the enemy," Hovhannisyan reasoned.
"I have all the data on disorders and their causes. Several dozen
serious injuries are registered each year, which are primarily caused
by adversary attacks. However, [the soldiers] don't just receive
musculoskeletal injuries; eye injuries with drastic consequences also
happen, for example. We've also had malignant tumors which do not cause
musculoskeletal problems, but are just as serious," Hovhannisyan said.
The official also touched upon the case of serviceman Gevorg
Yeghiazaryan, 23, who was severely injured at the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border in 2011, becoming paralyzed. The Armenian Defense Ministry has
refused to finance the second round of his treatment, using "lack of
funds" to justify the refusal.
Today, Artsrun Hovhannisyan told journalists that "the Ministry of
Defense is not obliged to finance a treatment outside Armenia."
"But since 1 or 2, or, at most, 3-4 such cases are registered each
year, when soldiers have to receive a treatment abroad, the Ministry
helps everyone with no exception. You know that treatment in such
clinics costs fairly large amounts of money; starting at $30-40
thousand, reaching up to 100-200 thousand dollars. I say 'help', as,
according to the law, the Ministry does not have to cover the entire
cost, and second, unfortunately, it doesn't have enough financial
resources," the official said.
Armine Sadikyan, Coordinator of Peace-building department of Helsinki
Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor office, countered Hovhannisyan, stating
that lack of funds does not relieve the Defense Ministry from the
responsibility for the soldiers' lives.
http://www.epress.am/en/2015/04/10/defense-ministry-not-obliged-to-finance-soldiers-treatment-abroad-spokesperson.html
From: Baghdasarian
04.10.2015 13:04 epress.am
It is not appropriate for the RA Ministry of Defense to disclose
the number of soldiers who have returned home from their military
service with musculoskeletal problems or disorders, or the causes of
these injuries, Artsrun Hovhannisyan, spokesperson of the Ministry
of Defense of the Republic of Armenia said in a press conference on
Friday, April 10. Such data are confidential, as it can "create a
picture for the enemy," Hovhannisyan reasoned.
"I have all the data on disorders and their causes. Several dozen
serious injuries are registered each year, which are primarily caused
by adversary attacks. However, [the soldiers] don't just receive
musculoskeletal injuries; eye injuries with drastic consequences also
happen, for example. We've also had malignant tumors which do not cause
musculoskeletal problems, but are just as serious," Hovhannisyan said.
The official also touched upon the case of serviceman Gevorg
Yeghiazaryan, 23, who was severely injured at the Armenian-Azerbaijani
border in 2011, becoming paralyzed. The Armenian Defense Ministry has
refused to finance the second round of his treatment, using "lack of
funds" to justify the refusal.
Today, Artsrun Hovhannisyan told journalists that "the Ministry of
Defense is not obliged to finance a treatment outside Armenia."
"But since 1 or 2, or, at most, 3-4 such cases are registered each
year, when soldiers have to receive a treatment abroad, the Ministry
helps everyone with no exception. You know that treatment in such
clinics costs fairly large amounts of money; starting at $30-40
thousand, reaching up to 100-200 thousand dollars. I say 'help', as,
according to the law, the Ministry does not have to cover the entire
cost, and second, unfortunately, it doesn't have enough financial
resources," the official said.
Armine Sadikyan, Coordinator of Peace-building department of Helsinki
Citizens' Assembly Vanadzor office, countered Hovhannisyan, stating
that lack of funds does not relieve the Defense Ministry from the
responsibility for the soldiers' lives.
http://www.epress.am/en/2015/04/10/defense-ministry-not-obliged-to-finance-soldiers-treatment-abroad-spokesperson.html
From: Baghdasarian