Late at Night, We Notice a Large Black Polyethylene Bag on the Floor, Human-sized: Where Have the COVID Victims Been Stored?

Recently, information circulated that bodies were being stored in bags on the floor of the former emergency care site in Vanadzor's medical center. Vanadzor resident Hakob Mikoyan wrote about this on his social media page, specifically noting: "Recently, I had visited the abandoned area of the former emergency medical service with my colleagues, considering it as a potential future veterinary clinic, along with a small shelter for stray animals. For those who are unaware, the previous locations included the Vanadzor Medical Center, a maternity hospital, a morgue, and a blood center. Currently, only the morgue remains from the aforementioned services."

"In short, it was late; I entered that abandoned building with my veterinarian colleagues, illuminating our way with phone flashlights to get a rough idea of the state of the building and whether it’s suitable for our work. Right as we entered the first room, we noticed a large black polyethylene bag thrown on the floor, human-sized, sealed with tape, and under the tape was a piece of paper with a woman's name written on it, which I won't disclose here for understandable reasons... We looked at each other, not knowing what to say. My veterinarian friend (whom I do not think needs to be named here) said that the bag likely contained a body and urged that we leave the area."

After exiting the area, Hakob called the police and reported what he had seen. Shortly after, according to Hakob, he received a call from the police confirming that there were indeed bodies in the bags, which had been transferred from the morgue to that building. "They were brought from the morgue and placed there; it’s the body of someone who died from COVID, and there isn’t just one body, there are many..."

"Armenian Time" visited the former emergency medical station where the bodies were reportedly being stored. The entrance door was open, and there wasn't even a lock on it; there was no one around to either stop us or ask who we were and where we were going. Adhering to safety protocols as much as possible, we entered inside. In the first dark room, which used to be the director’s office, there were several tables covered with sheets and linens. What we saw suggested that, indeed, bodies had been here, although there were none at that moment.

Informed sources confirmed to us that for some time, bodies of those who died from coronavirus were brought directly here from residences and hospitals, some operations were performed, and then the deceased were handed over to their relatives in accordance with regulations. Our source also revealed that there were days when bodies were even placed on the floor and in adjacent rooms. I was informed that there have been many instances of disagreements between relevant staff and the relatives of the deceased regarding improper conditions for the storage of bodies. It was also mentioned to us that the doors of the building and the room where the bodies were stored had almost always been left open.

Upon exiting the room where the bodies were kept and the building itself, we encountered no one. The former emergency medical station and the morgue are located about 100 meters apart. Indeed, there were bodies in the building.

In a conversation with "Armenian Time," the director of the Vanadzor Medical Center, Vahagn Mkrtchyan, confirmed that bodies had indeed been stored in the mentioned area, stating that the reason for this was situational: "For a period of time, probably a few days, for a short time, yes, bodies were kept there, related to the peak of the coronavirus and the wartime situation when there was no space in the morgue," said Mr. Mkrtchyan, requesting that we call for more details later.