First palliative care clinic for children with oncological and hematological diseases opened in Armenia

YEREVAN, September 28. /ARKA/. The first palliative care clinic for children with oncological and hematological diseases has opened in Armenia.

Speaking at the opening ceremony Health Minister Anahit Avanesyan said having such a center is extremely important, as they help patients achieve the best possible quality of life, ensure that children receive the necessary care and comfort when faced with a life–threatening and/or life-limiting condition.

“There are cases when the most experienced doctors are powerless. The most important thing is that children and adults in our country until the last minute of their lives are surrounded by care, love and their loved ones,” she said.

In a conversation with reporters, the minister noted that before the opening of the center, palliative care was provided in intensive care units of hospitals or at the children’s home.

“Our indicators for the recovery of children with cancer are quite good and are comparable with European data, but, unfortunately, there are cases when doctors cannot help," she said.

The clinic has 5 beds.

“For many years, this problem faced Armenian doctors: when medicine was powerless, the problem of these patients remained unresolved. We had two choices: the patient either stayed in the department or went home. In both cases, there were problems," said Samvel Danielyan, the head of Yolyan Hematology Center . -0-