Budgetary Wastefulness: Funds Insufficient for AstraZeneca Vaccine Due to Reallocation of Expenses

Urologist Gevorg Grigoryan wrote on his Facebook page: "During wartime, for a vaccine with 70% efficacy that has been rejected in many countries, a payment of 890 million drams was transferred to the COVAX facility as an insurance payment (BEH). However, the funds allocated for that program are 2 billion 296 million drams (about 4.5 million USD). This is our country's obligation to the GAVI organization. This year, the remaining amount must be transferred so that they can supply us with a vaccine that causes thromboses, deaths, and other complications at a 'cheap' price. However, the Ministry of Health has made reallocations in the budgetary expenditures, and there are not enough funds to acquire the product of AstraZeneca.

Now the Ministry of Finance is reminding that in case the remaining funds are not transferred, we will not get back the advance payment of 890 million drams (about 1.7 million USD) and we will not receive the vaccine either. However, this is of no interest to the Ministry of Health because for them, state money—money that has come from our taxes—is not significant... They are only interested in the money that fills their own pockets. This is a purposeless and senseless waste of public money. It is a disintegration of the budget.

P.S. Imagine how many bulletproof vests could have been bought during wartime for 1.7 million USD, but they were not purchased because, for these individuals, war was just a means to 'stick' to money, and they begged the entire nation for the funds for bulletproof vests from the diaspora so that they could also 'stick' with that money..."