“If they don't have money, will they let them die?”: Epidemiologist on making coronavirus treatment paid

“I don’t know who has given these thoughts to the Prime Minister, but in any case, it contradicts medical and humanitarian principles,” said epidemiologist Eduard Hovhannisyan in an interview with 168.am, responding to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s assertion during a government meeting that “there are people saying to make treatment for coronavirus paid; why should we pay taxes for people not to get vaccinated?”

“People can choose not to get vaccinated. That is their right. But we can explain to people why it is beneficial—by changing those people’s desires. If they don’t have money, should they just be left to die? Or another question: for a year and a half now, the coronavirus has been in our country. Has the state covered the expenses of all the people who have received treatment? How many people have been treated with their own money? Countless,” said the epidemiologist.

He emphasized that limiting coronavirus treatment, providing treatment only to vaccinated individuals with state funds will create an atmosphere of unnecessary fear and will drive people further away from the idea of vaccination, complicating the vaccination process. “People should make the decision to get vaccinated independently—when they are convinced that vaccination will provide more benefit than it can theoretically cause harm. To put it simply, the state should first target those in vulnerable groups (pensioners, elderly citizens, diabetes patients, citizens with high levels of obesity, etc.) among those for whom the disease can progress more severely and naturally lead to death. By reducing hospitalization and mortality rates in this way, it is possible to convince the public that vaccination is a public good,” noted the epidemiologist.