International Organizations Allocate $11 Million to Armenia for COVID-19 Prevention

The newspaper "Zhoghovurd" reports that from March 1, 2020, to October 2021 (a period of over a year and a half), the Republic of Armenia received assistance and support for overcoming the coronavirus from various international organizations and countries. The "Zhoghovurd" newspaper sent an inquiry to the Ministry of Health to find out what resources and support were sent to the Ministry and the Republic of Armenia during this time. In response to our inquiry, the Ministry of Health sent us a document composed of several subsections, according to which, during this one and a half year period, Armenia received a total of $11 million and 386 thousand from abroad.

Although these funds have been used to acquire resources for the prevention and treatment of the virus, in addition to this amount, material assistance (equipment, masks, gloves, etc.) has also arrived. During the pandemic, Armenia has been supported by China, Qatar, the Netherlands, the European Union, the Asian Development Bank, the World Health Organization, Germany, Canada, Korea, the UN, and other organizations and countries.

However, despite the various types of assistance provided by international organizations and countries, not all citizens infected with the coronavirus receive free treatment. For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that patients in medical centers designated for the treatment of the coronavirus receive appropriate medical assistance, and specialist doctors do everything possible. The situation is different, however, when citizens are treated at home to confront the virus. In this case, individuals must cover their own costs for tests, doctor visits, and obtaining medications. It turns out that donor organizations and countries provide all possible assistance—from masks and gloves to ventilators—but the support that has come from abroad is not accessible for citizens battling the virus outside of hospital settings. If a citizen is not treated in a hospital, they are forced to personally bear all expenses related to the coronavirus, which is not cheap—from testing to medication.

More details can be found in today’s issue of the newspaper.