PROFESSOR HOVHANNISIAN: I WAS IN NATIVE ENVIRONMENT IN IRAN

Azg/arm
18 Nov 04

Hovhannes Hovhannisian, head of Moscow Central Institute of
Traumatology and Orthopaedy, had a two-week visit to Iran on
invitation of the biggest Iranian hospital Milad, the Chair of
Traumatology and Orthopaedy of Tehran University and the Institute of
Scientific Development. He shared his impressions with Azg daily.

– I am in close relations with many Iranian colleagues whom I meet
mainly at international conferences. And now I had the chance of
visiting them in their country to perform demonstrative operations and
deliver lectures.

– Who was watching the operations? Students?

– No, professional doctors were. Milad hospital can compete with any
western hospital with its first-class personnel and technical
equipments. They asked me to use my methods and tools in operating the
patients I knew.

– What does make your methods unique?

– My scientific methods of fracture and joint treatment allow to
perform operation in field conditions, no expensive and stationary
equipment is needed.

– Especial considering Iran’s seismic location.

– That’s true but, besides, number of people who become victims of car
crashes is enormous in Iran too. There are more cars in Tehran than in
hugeMoscow. 5 of 9 patients I treated suffered a car crash.

– What was your language of communication there?

– There are many physicians in Tehran who are graduates of Russian
institutes, including the one I am coming from. They were voluntarily
helping me during operations, lecturing and also in my personal
conversations. As you can guess, I had no difficulty with local
Armenian doctors as regards communication. Iranians are kind,
hospitable people and show wonderful disposition towards Armenians. I
felt myself in a native environment. They offered me a contract for 10
years and I gladly signed it.

– Did you meet the local Armenian community?

– How could I miss the chance? Wherever I go, I always inquire about
the life of local Armenians. In Tehran’s Armenian church I had a warm
talk with the head of Iran diocese archbishop Sepuh Sargsian. Then I
was invited by the Union of Iran’s Armenian doctors. In the center of
Tehran Armenians have a cultural and health complex with a scientific
section, a swimming pool, a tennis-court, a football field and a
concert hall. It merely amazed me. Do you know what I said in my
interview to a Moscow newspaper? I said that Moscow Armenians, though
with greater possibilities, would only dream of such a national
center.

By Ruben Hayrapetian in Moscow