HOSPITAL… WANTED
Erna Sargissian
Azat Artsakh Daily, Republic of Nagorno Karabakh [NKR]
20 March 07
The village of Karmir Shuka, Martuni Region, used to have a hospital
until 1996 but in 1997 it was reorganized into a medical ambulatory
due to a lay-off and several other problems. The head of the ambulatory
Svetlana Avagian says 937 people of the village and patients from the
adjacent 9 villages get medical care at the ambulatory. The patients
mainly have chronic diseases. The staff of the ambulatory consists
of 10 nurses. "Once a quarter the Red Cross provides medicine to
the ambulatory," she says. It is mainly first aid medicine, the
municipality also helps, and since May 2006 Karabakh Gold winery
provides spirit, said Svetlana Avagian. She said that over the past
five years the government provided medicine and medical instruments
only once. Svetlana Avagian says there are patients who need hospital
care but cannot afford to go to Stepanakert. "If the village had a
hospital with at least 10 beds, we would not have such a problem,"
said the head of the ambulatory. The government will hopefully attend
to this problem.