HAND IN HAND FOR HEALTH IN ARTSAKH
Mary Hayrapetyan, Armine Avagyan
Azat Artsakh, Nagorno Karabakh Republic [NKR]
26 June 2006
Hand in Hand NGO started operating in Nagorno Karabakh in January 2005.
Vahagn Ghazaryan, Director, said the organization has dental clinics
in the regions of Hadrut, Martuni, Martakert, in Shushi and Berdzor,
and a mobile clinic for the villages. Besides, the organization has a
women’s clinic in Stepanakert. The main sponsors of Hand in Hand are
the International Association of Armenian Dentists and the Association
of Armenian Doctors of Canada, which started operating in Karabakh when
the dental clinic of Shushi was opened in Shushi. These associations
fund the programs of the NGO. The honorary director of the organization
is First Lady Inna Ghukassian. The founders of Hand in Hand are Zareh
Uzunian, the president of the board of Hand in Hand NGO, Perj Gilajian,
the president of the International Association of Armenian Dentists,
Avetis Pogossian the president of the Association of Armenian Doctors
of Canada), Aram Sirakian (Boston) and Arsen Petrossian. Besides the
main sponsors, several other associations of Armenian Diasporan doctors
fund the programs of the NGO. The NKR government funds the communal
services of the clinics. In 2005 13,000 patients visited Hand in Hand
clinics. The NGO also implements a program of preventive treatment of
mouth cavity. The first stage of the program was implemented among
children aged 3-9. In Stepanakert the children of the schools N 1
and N 2 were examined, the other schools and nursery schools of the
capital will be included as well.