Armenian PM inspects construction of Radioisotope Generation and Molecular Diagnostics Center

ArmInfo. Armenia's Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan visited yesterday the site where the Radioisotope Generation and Molecular Diagnostics Center (RMDC) is being built. Note that the oncology excellence center investment project has three phases:  molecular diagnostics and radiopharmaceutical production center, radiation therapy and chemotherapy center and a surgical center. The program is implemented by Global Medical Solutions Inc., which is one of the world's leading companies in the field of nuclear medicine and diagnostic imaging services.

The press-service of the Armenian government informs that during the tour, the Prime Minister was briefed on the progress in construction of the radiopharmaceutical production and molecular diagnostics center. The Prime Minister was told that the process is in its final stage: installation of modern diagnostic equipment and external decoration. The design estimate for the radiation treatment center is already complete, and a tender is going to be announced in a month to pick out a contractor for the construction and purchase of equipment. 

Noting that the establishment of an international standards-compliant center is crucial to the prevention, early detection and treatment of cancer, the Prime Minister instructed those responsible to be consistent in ensuring high quality and timely implementation of the project. 

A consultation was next held in the Office of Government, attended by Chief of Government Staff Davit Haroutunyan, Minister of Healthcare Armen Muradyan, Deputy Minister of Healthcare Gagik Mirijanyan and Global Medical Solutions President and CEO Hayk Bakrjian, during which they discussed ongoing activities and future action.

The decision on establishing a Nuclear Medicine Center was made in Feb 2008. The Center will be created on the basis of Yerevan Physics Institute. The project will cost approximately 30 million EUR, of which 5 million EUR is the cost of the proton accelerator from IBA Molecular Company, Belgium. The Center will be equipped with up-to-date linear accelerators, equipment for brachitherapy, and a high-capacity center of diagnostics. The initial annual capacity of the Center will be 500-1000 patients, according to Armen Muradyan, the Health Minister of Armenia.

In the establishment of the Center, Armenia actively cooperates with many foreign partners, including Rosatom Russian State Corporation, one of the world's leaders in the nuclear medicine. Earlier, Alexey Vakulenko, First Deputy CEO for commercial issues, JSC Isotope, Moscow, told ArmInfo Isotope JSC, an enterprise of Rosatom, will provide Technetium- 99m generators to the medical establishments in Armenia.  The company is already supplied Tc-99m generators to three clinics in Armenia.