In 2018, healthcare of Armenia to receive almost 6 billion AMD less then in 2017

ArmInfo. The healthcare sector of Armenia will receive 5.8 billion less then in 2017.

As Atom Janjughazyan, the chief treasurer of Armenia, said at the budget hearings, in 2018 the healthcare sector will allocate 80.1 billion AMD, which is 1.4% of GDP and 5.4% of the budget. What caused such a sharp reduction in the financing of the sphere, Janjughazyan could not clearly answer. At the same time, he assured that there will be no reduction in the list of services provided by the sphere on budgetary financing.

These figures aroused concern of the former deputy minister of healthcare of the Republic of Armenia, now a deputy from the opposition bloc "Elk" Artak Zeynalyan who, referring to international experience, assured that if budget financing of the healthcare sector is below 12%, this leads to inefficient management.

Minister of Healthcare Levon Altunyan, presenting the priorities of the sphere for 2018, noted that the treatment and prevention of such diseases as tuberculosis (1.8 billion), renal failure, recurrent disease, diabetes mellitus , mental illness. 1bln AMD will be directed to treatment of oncological and leukemia patients (about 10 thousand people). Another 2.4 billion drams will be spent on the costs of hemodialysis patients with kidney failure. This is 13.7% more than in 2017. The Ministry will send 308.7 million drams for the treatment of dental diseases in the framework of state orders. 3.3 billion drams will be directed to the "First Aid" services. 6.3 billion drams will be allocated for obstetric care and 7.8 billion for medical services in the state order for children under 7 years old. 330 million will be spent on fighting HIV and AIDS. In addition, within the framework of state financing, 1500 patients will be able to undergo stenting of the heart vessels. Each stent will cost the state 700-750 thousand drams.

As for the primary level of medical care - outpatient clinics, budget financing in this direction also dropped sharply - by 2 billion drams to 25.4 billion. Altyunyan assured that the Ministry focuses on improving the quality of primary health care services. According to him, as a whole there are 350 outpatient clinics in Armenia, 6,580 thousand AMD will be allocated for polyclinic services for one citizen from the budget.

For the provision of hospital services within the state order in 2018 will be allocated 38.1 billion drams.