I think this is a desperate decision for healthcare: Ara Babloyan

The healthcare system will have centralized management during the state of emergency. This information was announced by the Armenian Ministry of Healthcare yesterday.

"I think this is a desperate decision for healthcare," said Ara Babloyan, the scientific director of the Arabkir Medical Center, in an interview with 168.am. "Of course, this could be an unprecedented decision, and I believe that this is a desperate measure for healthcare because other institutions, organizations, and the community have not provided the conditions that could limit the spread of the infection. The entire burden is, in fact, placed on healthcare at this moment.

"At this time, I cannot provide a full assessment because I am not familiar with the details of the legislative package, but it is understandable why the ministry is taking this step: not all medical institutions and their administrators have been able to correctly assess the situation and take responsibility for properly organizing work to ensure the care of both COVID-infected and non-infected patients while also protecting medical personnel from the virus," Babloyan stated.

In response to a remark about the upcoming change that will allow the Ministry of Health to appoint new directors who will directly report to the ministry, he replied: "In my opinion, that is one of the main issues because replacing everyone would be a very wrong move. The ministry must first clarify its objectives, the mechanisms for achieving them, and the criteria, and then assess based on those criteria who has been able to meet the demands set by the state. Let’s not forget that the number of competent managers in medical organizations in Armenia is not very large; it won’t be easy to find administrators who can do what is necessary. I think replacements can only occur for those who do not meet the criteria demands."

When asked if he sees any issues with transferring the management of private medical institutions to the state, he stated: "Of course, this could pose serious risks to the private sector because if the government takes this step, it must remember that it needs to preserve the property of the institution, maintain the institution's image, and protect the rights and interests of the institution's staff. This is not an easy decision; it is a serious and responsible one."