Ani Samsonyan Receives Clarifications on Maternity Hospital Closures

Member of the National Assembly’s "Enlightened Armenia" faction, Ani Samsonyan, announced on her Facebook page that she has received clarifications regarding the closure of maternity hospitals.

“Dear colleagues, I had addressed Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan to obtain explanations regarding the closure of maternity hospitals. The reasons mentioned by the minister have also been presented in a written response directed to me, which you are already familiar with. Let me briefly outline the following:

The management of the Kotayk Region's Nairi Medical Center CJSC has been invited to submit a new application for the state order regarding the operation of maternity hospitals, which will be considered. Regarding the Tavush Region's Achajur Health Center SNCO, only the grounds for closure have been presented, with no reference to re-discussing the issue or reviewing the closure decision in the future.

Similar statements were made concerning the Shirak Region's Maralik Health Center CJSC, as well as the Artani Health Center, Zaghkadzor Medical Center, Artsvaberd Health Center, Kajaran Medical Center, and Garni Medical Center. Thus, it appears that the review of the Kotayk Region's Nairi Medical Center is currently the only clear matter.

It is evident that, from the perspective of protecting the health of mothers and children, maternity hospitals and medical services must necessarily meet the accepted standards. There can be no contrary claim on this matter. However, from the perspective of population growth and development strategy, logic suggests that the issue of maternity hospitals should be resolved through modernization rather than closure. A crucial factor here is also the joint efforts and cooperation of medical centers, regional administrations, and the Ministry of Health, which I assess has been lacking in this process,” she wrote.