Government discussed budget financing for  healthcare sector in 2020

ArmInfo.On November 5, a meeting was held under the chairmanship of RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, at which the application of the Ministry of Healthcare on  budget allocations in 2020 was discussed.

As the press service of the Government of the Republic of Armenia  reports, the discussions were mainly concentrated around the  priorities of the department, program of events and reforms. In  particular, the need for improving the demographic situation and the  implementation of targeted state programs in the field of healthcare  for the provision of medicines was noted. Issues related to building  the capacity of primary health care facilities, vaccines, the drug  market and the introduction of e-health were also discussed. Within  the framework of state procurement programs, issues related to the  use of emergency stents on the heart of Stent of Life, the treatment  of ischemic stroke, the implementation of medical care programs for  children under the age of 18, their expansion and coverage were  discussed.  The Prime Minister of Armenia emphasized the importance  of implementing the plans planned in 2020, having issued a number of  instructions for monitoring the implementation of targeted state  programs, increasing the effectiveness of primary health care, and  implementing structural reforms. Nikol Pashinyan also emphasized the  importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle and raising public  awareness of programs in this area, instructing to consider these  issues within the strategic goals of the government.

At the parliamentary hearings on the draft state budget on November  1, RA Minister of Healthcare Arsen Torosyan noted that it is planned  to allocate at least 109 billion 14.6 million drams to the healthcare  sector of Armenia in 2020 instead of 89 billion 590 million in 2019.  According to him, the health policy in the coming year will be aimed  at maintaining public health, disease prevention, increasing the  availability and quality of medical services, increasing fertility  and average life expectancy. According to the minister, the funds  received from the state budget will be directed to the following  programs:

8% of the healthcare budget (27.1 billion drams) will be allocated  for primary health care. Most of this amount will go to primary  health care (polyclinics, outpatient clinics), and the rest will be  spent on laboratory diagnostic tests to confirm the diagnosis in  highly specialized centers. The entire population of the country, the  minister emphasized, will have access to free consultations with a  family doctor, therapist, pediatrician and a number of specialized  specialists, as well as laboratory and instrumental studies in  polyclinics. In addition, in two medical centers it is planned to  conduct a pilot screening program for the detection of colorectal  cancer among citizens 55-75 years old.

3% of the healthcare budget (5.7 billion drams), which is 26.2% more  than in 2019, will be used to implement public healthcare support  programs. This also includes the national immunization program, in  which it is planned to switch from a 5-valent vaccine to a 6-valent  one.

7% of the healthcare budget (20.4 billion drams, 27.4% more than in  2019) will be directed to a program to preserve the health of mothers  and children. For high-risk pregnant women, additional screening  studies are planned to be introduced, which will help maintain some  pregnancy. In addition, more couples will be able to access assisted  reproductive technology financing programs.

25% of the healthcare budget (27.1 billion drams) will be allocated  to finance services provided to socially disadvantaged groups of the  population, 47% more than last year.  

200 mln drams are planned to be spent on organ transplantation  programs: 100 mln - on kidney transplantation for people with chronic  renal failure and another 100 mln - on bone marrow transplantation  for people with malignant blood diseases.

According to the minister, it is planned to allocate 12.5% of the  health budget to programs for the fight against noncommunicable  diseases (13.7 billion drams, 34.4% more than in 2019).

4% (2.7 billion drams, 6% more than in 2019) will be allocated for  the treatment of infectious diseases, including intestinal  infections.

According to the minister, 3 billion drams will be spent on financing  ambulance services - 1 billion more than last year.

3 billion drams are planned to be directed to drug support programs  that will cover 14 diseases instead of 12 (pituitary dwarfism and  viral hepatitis C will be added to the list).

503 mln drams will be allocated for forensic, pathoanatomical  services - 11% more than in 2019.  But the budget for consultations,  research, professional support fell from 815 million drams to 317.6  million - due to a significant reduction in financing the  preservation of the e-health system. The Minister also emphasized  that in 2020 it is planned to continue programs financed from  external sources.