State of Emergency Must Be Extended, Torosyan Details

Minister of Health Arsen Torosyan stated during a press conference with journalists that although the number of confirmed cases has seen a relative decline in recent days, it should not be considered that everything is under control.

According to the minister, due to the long incubation period of the coronavirus and its gradual exit from the body, measures such as the identification of patients, testing, treatment, and isolation must continue until there is treatment or vaccination for the disease. Until then, the situation must be managed, otherwise, there will be disastrous consequences, and the healthcare system will not be able to care for and treat a large number of patients.

In the fight against the coronavirus, health workers are primarily funded by the state budget, as confirmed by Arsen Torosyan. They are often funded through donations, as many have contributed for the compensation of health workers and the fight against the virus.

“Currently, around 1,700 health workers are involved in the nine main institutions in Armenia, as well as the emergency service and medical centers at border checkpoints,” the Health Minister noted. He explained that the child mortality cases reported globally mainly involve children with weakened immune systems and those undergoing chemotherapy.

“Our proposal to the Government will be to extend the state of emergency; of course, the decision will be made considering many factors, but in order to ensure the continuity of the operations I mentioned, I believe that the state of emergency regime is crucial,” he added.

As of now, according to the minister, 6,500 tests have been conducted. Tests have been done based on indications, but more tests will be performed in the future, with plans to increase the daily number to 1,000.

“Many times, it is noted why there is no testing in certain healthcare institutions. Testing for viruses is one of the most complex medical investigations and is a long process. The investigation takes about five hours, and the laboratory must have a high level of biosafety so that the virus does not spread to health workers, then to patients. There are only six such laboratories in Armenia, and two more private laboratories have joined since today. Testing responses for viruses in the best countries in the world are not provided sooner than 48 hours for PCR tests, but sometimes we provide them in 10 hours. In the last month, laboratory workers have worked almost 24 hours, which can increase the likelihood of errors; we have decided to stop testing at night.”

Arsen Torosyan emphasized that the decline in numbers should not dictate the situation, and we must not allow our isolated hospitals to lack space for severe patients, forcing us to treat them in non-hospital settings, which could have undesirable consequences for pregnant women, the elderly, and those with chronic illnesses.

In response to a query about a confirmed case of coronavirus at the Republican hospital's maternity ward, the minister remarked that all healthcare institutions are familiar with the protocols for managing confirmed coronavirus cases.

“There are institutions designated to handle such patients; there is a maternity ward where specific conditions are established for managing the pathologies of sick pregnant women and organizing deliveries. Any hospital can have confirmed cases of coronavirus, and after familiarizing ourselves with the characteristics of the disease, we decide whether to keep that patient in the hospital or not,” he said.

Regarding the case of an employee at one of the banks in Ijevan who tested positive for coronavirus and resulted in dozens of clients being isolated without testing, Arsen Torosyan explained that isolated individuals are tested on the 14th day.

A question was raised as to whether all hospitals serving coronavirus patients have separate restrooms. Torosyan indicated that not all healthcare facilities have separate bathrooms for every patient room, but confirmed and unconfirmed cases must not share the same living conditions and restrooms.

“The Norq Infectious Diseases Hospital, until the formation of our government, was one of the worst hospitals in Armenia in terms of living conditions, and a project worth 100 million drams started last year; however, due to the current situation, they have not yet been able to renovate it, although some wards have been renovated, and we have ensured the availability of hot water,” the minister stated.

Arsen Torosyan mentioned that they are in constant contact with their partners in Artsakh, providing both advisory and material support to prevent the spread of the epidemic. He also reported that as of today, 180 people have pneumonia, and he could not specify how many are pregnant or healthcare workers, but there are no severe cases among the healthcare workers.

Torosyan also informed that autopsies on patients who died from coronavirus have not been performed, and legislative changes have been made so that until a special infectious autopsy facility is established, autopsies cannot be conducted.