Armenia to Enact Legislative Measures to Safeguard Medical Professionals from Hostile Patients and Their Families

YEREVAN, September 3. /ARКА/. On Wednesday, Armenian National Assembly Committee on State and Legal Affairs approved a bill proposing amendments to the Criminal Code, currently under discussion in its first reading, which aims to protect medical professionals from acts of violence and aggression.

As reported by Hasmik Hakobyan, a member of the ruling Civil Contract party, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has documented 27 incidents of violence against medical professionals in Armenia during the years 2023-2025.

"Medical practitioners require enhanced security assurances. This legislation seeks to avert assaults on medical professionals, ensure their safety, and address deficiencies in existing laws while aligning them with international standards," the MP emphasized.

Specifically, the proposal includes penalties for obstructing the lawful professional activities of a medical worker, which may involve a fine of up to 10 times the base wage rate, community service for a maximum of 100 hours, restriction of freedom for up to 1 year, or short-term imprisonment for a duration of up to 1 month.

In instances where obstruction of a medical worker's lawful professional activities occurs with the threat of violence, the bill suggests imposing a fine of up to 20 times the base wage rate, community service ranging from 100 to 200 hours, restriction of freedom for up to 2 years, short-term imprisonment for up to 2 months, or imprisonment for a maximum of 2 years.-0-