ArmInfo. Works on creating radioisotope-processing Center in Armenia are to be finished. The first, diagnostic component of the project is finished, all the facilities are practically installed, Armenian Health Care Minister Levon Altunyan stated.
According to the Minister, the importance of creating the Center is in providing accessibility of Armenian nationals and guests of the country to the latest achieved services of radiation medicine. "Unique facilities are installed in the Center: medical cyclotron thanks to which there will be a chance to produce radio pharmaceutical products based on receiving isotope fluoro (F18) for early diagnostic of cancer research illnesses and for improvement of their timely treatment methods based on best practice of nucleate medicine", the Minister said. He stressed that scientific-research works will be implemented, including at the base of Physics Institute named after A. Alikhanyan, where the Center is located.
To note, radioisotope processing Center will become the main part of the project of creating National Center of excellence in cancer research area for the complete work of which is necessary to use the second curative component of the project. The most up-to-date facilities will be purchased and installed produced in Russia, Israel and in a number of European countries. According to Arthur Rostomyan, the director of the Center, the obvious viable plus of Armenian Center from similar clinics in the region, including in neighbor Georgia, is its personal isotope producing, which reduces noticeably the cost of treatment, and result the increase of accessibility to it the nationals. He informed that 2.2 bln AMD have been invested in the Center's creating since 2011.
To note, Armenian Parliament in Dec 2016 adopted modifications in the privatization project of the state property items. The changes stipulate the privatization of the Center on radioisotope processing, which is at the balance of Health Care Ministry of Armenia, related with the absence of financing. This contradicts Armenian legislation. There is only one limitation in law on "Peaceful use of nuclear energy", related to outspent nuclear power and radioactive waste, which are exclusively state property.