ArmInfo. In front of the government building, a rally of employees of the Republican AIDS Prevention Center is taking place. The ArmInfo correspondent reports about this from the scene.
During the protest rally, employees noted that they disagree with the decision of the Ministry of Health to merge the Center with the Infectious Diseases Hospital in order to optimize. They called on the minister to rethink his decision. The staff noted that this decision was made in the light of the lack of specialized discussions with the staff of the Center. This fact is of particular concern given the fact that in the republic, in addition to the Center, there is no other specialized organization working in the field of treatment and prevention of AIDS.
The former head of the Center, Samvel Grigoryan, said in an interview with reporters that the Center's employees are demanding that this issue be discussed at a professional level. "The position of the Ministry of Health should be justified. Something to close, open, unite cannot be an end in itself. It is necessary to explain what goals the ministry pursues, what the government will benefit from this decision, the citizens of the country. Why the ministry does not see the risks that may appear in connection with this virus in the country. You cannot make decisions without leaving your office, this is not serious, "Grigoryan emphasized.
He noted that the Center's employees did not intend to comply with the illegal decisions of the Ministry of Health. "We do not oppose individuals, including the personality of the new acting head of the Center. But he came in order to unite our Center with the Infectious Disease Hospital as soon as possible. We are against this decision, and we do not intend to implement it. We we'll go to the end. If they so want, then let them solve the issue by force, "Grigoryan emphasized.
In turn, another employee of the Center noted: "We will try to convey our voice to the Armenian government in all accessible and legal ways. We cannot allow the established structure to collapse in the country and nothing else is offered in return. And all the arguments that are given to this decision are devoid of their meaning. "
Employees of the Center believe that there is a danger of losing important, significant achievements of Armenia in this area. This, in particular, concerns the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, effective control of the epidemic and the quality of HIV research.
It should be noted that yesterday the Minister of Health of Armenia Arsen Torosyan dismissed the head of the Republican Center for AIDS Prevention Samvel Grigoryan, who categorically disagreed with the position of the minister on combining the Center with the Infectious Disease Hospital in order to optimize. In turn, the ministry believes that scientific advances and modern international approaches in the fight against AIDS indicate that this issue should be integrated into the national health system. As was noted, the need for separate institutions dealing with the problem of AIDS existed about 40 years ago, when the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome was only detected.
Meanwhile, according to official data of the same Ministry of Health, from January to December 2019, the number of people infected with HIV in Armenia increased by 2.10%. According to official data, in 2018, 429 cases were registered, and in 2019 - 438 cases, of which 135 are women. However, in recent years, AIDS is not on the list of registered infectious diseases, which is the direct result of the work of the Center. It turns out - the better you work, the more you are not appreciated, "say the Center's employees.
ArmInfo. The Minister of Healthcare of Armenia Arsen Torosyan dismissed the head of the Republican Center for the AIDS Prevention Samvel Grigoryan, who categorically disagreed with the position of the minister on the need to unite the Center with the Infectious Disease Hospital for optimization purpose.
ArmInfo. According to the Ministry of Healthcare, from January to December 2019, the number of people infected with HIV in Armenia increased by 2.10%.
ArmInfo.The RA Ministry of Health clarified its position regarding the merger of the Republican AIDS Prevention Center and the Nork Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital.
ArmInfo. Employees of the Republican Center for AIDS Prevention oppose merging with the Nork Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital. Recall that the corresponding government decision was made on January 30.