Lack of Funds Will Result in No Queue for State-Funded Surgeries: Arsen Torosyan

The Ministry of Health of Armenia is providing sufficient funds to healthcare facilities to ensure that there will be no queue for state-funded surgeries for children and that doctors will not expect additional payments from patients.

This was assured by the Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan during today’s discussion with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who inquired about hospital treatment for children. Torosyan noted that there are two scenarios. In the case of a planned surgery, where, for instance, a 9-year-old child’s treatment did not yield the desired result and surgery is necessary, the pediatrician from the local polyclinic issues a referral for state-funded treatment.

“With that referral, they will approach the hospital’s admissions department. And our current budget allocations allow for the scheduling to happen only due to the physical workload of the doctors. There will be no queuing due to lack of funds,” Torosyan assured.

The Prime Minister remarked that there are dozens of cases when an individual must receive treatment under the state program, ends up in line, but the service is not provided because they are told that state funding has run out. Torosyan assured that there is no such problem in that regard. There are also significant improvements in other services.

“We are providing healthcare facilities with enough funding so that they do not expect additional income from patients; if that expectation arises, we are ready to respond quickly,” the minister noted.

The Prime Minister inquired whether patients need to buy medication with their own money, and Torosyan replied that in the hospital, they should not.