The Price of Heart Stenting Has Decreased by 250,000 to 300,000 Drams: Arsen Torosyan

During the question-and-answer session between the National Assembly and the government, LHK MP Armen Yeghiazaryan inquired with Health Minister Arsen Torosyan about the reasons why heart stenting in Armenia is twice as expensive compared to Georgia.

Arsen Torosyan responded that the prices are determined by the salaries of the staff, the cost of materials used, and the reasonable profit of the medical facility. He confirmed that the cost of a non-drug-coated stent is 700,000 drams for one stent, and 750,000 drams for two stents. At a lower price, medical facilities would incur financial losses.

“First, let me say that the information indicating that thousands of our citizens are undergoing heart stenting operations in Georgia does not reflect reality. Annually, there are about 100 to 200 patients in Georgia, compared to over 5,000 stentings performed in Armenia. And why is it cheaper in Georgia? First, Armenia lacks information on Indian and Chinese stents, and second, the price also includes post-operative care,” he added.

Arsen Torosyan also noted that in the past year and a half, there has been a reduction in the cost of heart stenting operations by at least 250,000 to 300,000 drams. “Our issue is not actually to reduce prices but to increase coverage so that gradually we can reimburse citizens and they won’t have to pay out of pocket,” he said.