Scheduled surgeries temporarily suspended in Artsakh due to Azerbaijani blockade

YEREVAN, December 14. /ARKA/. Due to Azerbaijan's blockade of the sole road connecting Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) with Armenia and cutting off gas supplies, scheduled surgeries in medical institutions have been suspended, the Artsakh health Ministry said.

"Currently, there is no shortage of medicines and medical supplies necessary for first aid in medical institutions. We have now 11 patients in the intensive care department of the National Medical Center, two of them in extremely serious condition," it said.

It noted that there are medical centers that are being heated with diesel fuel (there are no problems at the moment, but the supply is low), but there are also medical institutions that use electric heaters due to blocked gas supply.

The ministry said it is taking all possible measures to find a proper way out of this situation.

Artsakh has appeared in a de facto blockade, with the rights of thousands of its citizens being violated after Azerbaijanis blocked the Stepanakert-Goris interstate highway, the only road linking Artsakh with Armenia.

The road has been closed for the third day already. On the evening of December 13 Azerbaijan also discontinued the supply of natural gas to Artsakh closing the valve on the pipeline that pumps natural gas to Artsakh from Armenia. -0-