Injured Soldiers to Receive Walkers or Wheelchairs Without Disability Status

During today’s government session, a decision was made to amend the regulations for medical-social expertise. Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Mesrop Arakelyan stated that the project relates to providing support measures to injured soldiers and civilians.

“Under the current regulations, specifically, to obtain supportive measures such as wheelchairs or walkers, a citizen must have a disability group. However, the issue is that obtaining a disability group under current regulations occurs after a specific medical process, following the completion of treatment, within a 3-month period. But in some cases, there is a need for walkers and wheelchairs during the treatment process,” said the minister.

Arakelyan noted that the proposed procedure allows for the rapid provision of these devices through an assessment of needs. This means that injured soldiers or civilians can receive these devices without having to visit the medical-social expertise centers. According to their applications, needs assessment is conducted within 5 days and supportive devices are provided. Notably, these devices can be supplied both at healthcare institutions and at the individual’s place of residence.

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan further mentioned that the amendment establishes that from now on, it is not the citizen in need who travels to the government or ministry, but rather the ministry that assesses the needs and provides the devices.

It is important to recall that during the session on December 3, 2020, the government decided to provide assistance to persons with disabilities according to disability groups: for the first group of disabilities, the assistance amounts to 3 million drams; for the second group, it is 2 million drams; for the third group, it is 1 million drams; and for a child with a disability status, the amount is also 3 million drams.