Disabled also subjected to bribes

Disabled also subjected to bribes

Thu, 12/27/2012 – 23:55
Analytics

No doubt that various types of public bodies in Armenia are infected
with corruption. However, in some of them corruption is deeply rooted
and widely spread. The corruption rooted in them results in public
dissatisfaction.

One of the above-mentioned public bodies was the medico-social agency
of the RA Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, along with its
divisions and territorial bodies. Many people, who have the right to
apply to the mentioned body and obtain a disability degree, have
abandoned that idea being afraid of what they can face in the agency
without providing bribes. It’s not hard to understand that for many
disabled people it is quite hard if not impossible.

The RA Government made four decisions at the session on 06.12.2012,
which according to the Government webpage, are aimed at decreasing
corruption risks in the social, particularly medico-social sphere. The
RA Government assures or tries to assure that it will be possible to
avoid subjective approaches, ensure maximum transparency, which will
in its turn substantially minimize corruption risks. As the Government
webpage informs, `According to the Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan the
issue has been much talked of in public. Studies had evidenced the
pervasive nature of corruption risks. The head of government asked the
Minister of Labor and Social Affairs to substantiate the efficiency of
the aforementioned measures. The Minister assured that the results are
encouraging.’

As the same source provides, the Social Affairs Minister assured that
`by adopting this decision, we have streamlined the legal field to
make a big step forward on our way to curbing subjective approach’.

The Minster also informed that 6 heads of committees were dismissed in
this period, there were also those who were dismissed based on their
applications, doctor experts.

According to the accusation conclusion Laura Hambardzumyan working at
the policlinic of `Armenia’ republic medical center as a therapeutic
told Levon Avetisyan’s wife Karine Hovhannisyan on 21.03.2012 who came
to the medical institution to obtain a disability degree that in order
to receive a reference for the medico-social expertise for L.
Avetisyan, it is necessary to pay AMD 20 thousand to the President of
medical expertise commission of the Policlinic Marietta Nahapetyan.

M. Nahapetyan was brought in an indictment for being the President of
medical expertise commission of the policlinic and realizing
administrative functions, illegally received AMD 20 thousand from L.
Avetisyan’s wife in exchange for providing the above-mentioned
document.

The employee of the medico-social expertise commission Maqruhi
Rostamyan was also brought in an indictment for urging L. Avetisyan’s
wife to commit a crime by bribing D. Manukyan in the amount of AMD 20
thousand.

Artur Hovhannisyan

Author:
Factinfo

From: A. Papazian