Stroke and cancer patients in Armenia to receive free treatment

The Armenian Ministry of Health is launching several free treatment programmes in the country.

One of them is being carried out on the personal initiative of the Minister of Health.

Details of the programme

Starting today, all stroke patients will receive free medical care. Their treatment will be carried out in one of two hospitals.

“The final implementation process of the programme is underway. The final touches are being made and ambulance crews in all regions of the country have been retrained,” said the Minister of Health, Arsen Torosyan.

According to rough estimates, 250 people are expected to receive treatment under the programme this year. According to Torosyan, the treatment of one patient will cost from one to four million drams ($2,000 – 8,000).

About 400 million drams (approximately $825,000) will be allocated for the implementation of the programme. The Ministry of Health of Armenia says the programme will significantly reduce the death rate from strokes and reduce the risk of disability by 39%.

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What else will be treated for free?

Cancer operations will also become free of charge in Armenia. Until recently, the state only paid a small amount of money for necessary surgical interventions.

Health Minister in bid for popularity

Arsen Torosyan is one of the new ministers who appeared in the government after the 2018 revolution. Attitudes toward Torosyan were, at first, wary – this was due to the fact that he took up the unpopular initiative of vaccinating the public against HPV.

Now the minister is taking initiatives that should cause a positive response. By 2021, he intends to introduce a system of compulsory health insurance. He has already introduced helicopter ambulances in the country. Torosyan also launched a tough fight against corruption and kickbacks in medical institutions and raised the salaries of doctors and nurses.