YEREVAN. – The Minister of Health of the Republic of Armenia (RA), Arsen Torosyan, casts his secret decision to close maternity hospitals on the provincial governors. Nune Avanesyan, President of “Paratselsus” NGO, said this at a press conference today.
"RA Health Minister Arsen Torosyan responded with a letter to [opposition] PAP MP Arman Abovyan, and said that the process of closing maternity hospitals by the RA Ministry of Health cannot be carried out, as the founders of the provincial medical institutions are the provincial governors' offices," she said. “That is to say, Mr. Torosyan openly declares that the closure process does not apply to him, it applies to the provincial governors' offices and community leaders. In that case, I want to understand with what principle Mr. Torosyan is announcing that they will be shut down, and I want to understand how the provincial governors will respond to this answer. It is also said that the expenses of these medical centers should be borne by the provincial governors' offices, as they are the founders. Now I want you to concentrate, dear Mr. Torosyan: Who will solve this issue? The provincial governors' offices or the Ministry of Health?”
According to the president of the NGO, if the provincial governors' offices are going to solve this issue, she thinks that the provincial governors will be more competent and concerned for their residents, and they will do their best so that these medical centers continue to work.