Some 60.4 billion drams were allocated last year to health ministry to finance 32 programs

YEREVAN, February 25. / ARKA /. Some  60.4 billion drams were allocated last year to the health ministry to finance 32 programs, health minister Armen Muradyan, said today when presenting a  report on the ministry’s activity in 2014.

The minister said also in order to reduce corruption risks a  new procedure for financing the treatment of patients  eligible to free or partly-free medical services has been installed this year. In the same context the salaries of medical staff were raised by 60-70% from July 1, 2014.

He said this year’s budget will finance five new programs worth 670 million drams, including emergency cardiac surgery program worth 500 million drams. On January 1 this year a compulsory annual preventive medical examination was introduced for public servants and the list of beneficiaries and the scope of the services were broadened.

The ministry launched last year a national health information and analytical system and the website of the emergency service 1-03.am.

Prime minister Hovik Abrahamyan said the ministry should improve the transparency of delivering free (government-financed) medical services to eligible categories of citizens.

Abrahamyan also said the ministry must develop and submit to the government a plan of actions to increase public confidence in free medical service and raise salaries of health workers. ($1 -478.72 drams). -0-