BUDGETARY ALLOCATIONS TO HEALTH CARE TO GROW BY 25% IN 2008

Noyan Tapan
Nov 1, 2007

YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 1, NOYAN TAPAN. By the 2008 draft state budget,
54.6 bln drams will be allocated to health care, which is more by 9.5
bln drams as compared with 2007. The RA minister of health Harutyun
Qushkian said at the October 31 joint sitting of the RA National
Assembly standing committees that this increase allows to raise
salaries of employees of the health system by 10-20%.

In 2008, monthly salaries of district doctors, pediatricians and
family doctors will make 77 thousand drams, of highly specialized
doctors – 66 thousand drams, and of the paramedical personnel –
about 50 thousand drams.

The speaker pointed out that despite a 20% growth as compared with
last year, salaries of hospital doctors and paramedical personnel
remain low, making 51 thousand and 40 thousand drams respectively.

The per-capita principle of financing the primary link will be used
again in 2008: it will grow by 16.2% and make 6,023 drams (about 19
dollars) per capita.

In 2008, resources for hospital medical services will grow by 20%
or 3.3 bln drams. This growth will allow to increase the number of
patients to 208 thousand and the daily treatment price of a patient
by 12.7% to 11,500 drams. 37.5% of hospital treatment resources will
be allocted for mother and child medical care, which is more by 31%
as compared with 2007.

Allocations to the National Program on Reproductive Health have been
increased by 1 billion drams. This sum will be used to raise salaries
of the respective medical personnel.

Responding to the question about insufficient allocations by the "state
order" system, the minister expressed an opinion that the "state order"
should be distributed among the best medical institutions rather than
all hospitals.