POLICLINIC OPENED IN STEPANAKERT

Azat Artsakh, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh
Sept 27 2006

On September 23 the ceremony of opening of the new building of the
policlinic of Stepanakert took place, which had started operating
two months ago. In the ceremony President Arkady Ghukassian, Speaker
Ashot Ghulian, Prime Minister Anoushavan Danielian, the primate of
the Artsakh Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church Archbishop
Parghev Martirossian, members of the government, members of the
board of trustees of Armenia Foundation, the director of the health
project in NKR Alineh Durian, workers of the health sector, guests were
present. This building built on the donations of our Diasporan friends
is part of the health complex, which will be built in Artsakh. The
new building of the hospital is planned. Congratulating the guests
of the ceremony, the minister of health Zoya Lazarian said the dream
of the people of Artsakh at last came true. In the post-war years,
this is the first important event for the health sector. Over the
past few years different medical establishments were repaired and
reconstructed, as well as built both in the capital and the regions
of the republic, but the policlinic with the diagnostic center is
really unprecedented. Zoya Lazarian thanked the NKR president for
the special attention to the construction of the policlinic and
assistance. She thanked the benefactors George Baghumian and Hrair
Hovnanian, the New York branch of Armenia Foundation, the director of
the health project Alineh Durian, and everyone who had contributed to
the construction of the policlinic. The East Coast director of Armenia
Foundation, member of the board of trustees Gevorg Toroian expressed
his happiness to see Artsakh being reconstructed and said hopefully
the project will be carried on, and new victories will be celebrated
in these marvelous highlands. Unfortunately, the president of the
charity fund of the Baghumian family George Baghumian could not come
to the ceremony. The policlinic was named after Armineh Baghumian,
the aunt of George Baghumian, who fell to the Armenian genocide in
1915. The NKR minister of health Zoya Lazarian read the congratulation
letter of the great benefactor where he emphasized the love of his
family for the people of Karabakh. I believe that these hospitable,
heroic people create their present and future successfully, ran the
letter. The executive director of the policlinic of Stepanakert Karineh
Andrian thanked the government and the benefactors for the wonderful
present. In his speech, NKR President Arkady Ghukassian touched
upon the reason for delay of construction and emphasized that it is
unacceptable independent from any reason, especially for the health
sector. Therefore, he said, control by the government and benefactors
over the construction of such buildings should be enhanced. Arkady
Ghukassian also mentioned that the project of the hospital is definite,
the names of the benefactors are known, and unlike the policlinic
the construction of the hospital will be finished in time. Once again
emphasizing the role of the Diaspora in the development of Artsakh,
President Ghukassian added, "Everyone understands that the fate of the
Armenian people is decided in Karabakh. They understand what Artsakh
means in the life of Armenians and what it means to solve a problem
for the sake of Artsakh and the people of Artsakh. Therefore, we need
good infrastructures, supply everything, for this is the only way to
keep the people of Artsakh here. I believe that we will be opening
a number of other such buildings. It is highly important for us that
the benefactors funding different projects in Armenia know that their
money is not dissipated." Alineh Durian told news reporters that
the project will continue. The premises are not enough. High-level
medical services are primary, therefore the doctors and nurses will
regularly attend training.