IN ARMENIA INVALIDS WILL GET ORTHOPEDIC AID IN 2009-2010: ASSISTANCE IN THE AMOUNT OF ABOUT 900 MILLION DRAMS IS ENVISAGED

/ARKA/
November 19, 2009
YEREVAN

YEREVAN, November 19. /ARKA/. "In 2009-2010, about 900 million
drams will be provided for invalids of Armenia by the programs of
prosthesis-orthopedic assistance ", said Jemma Baghdasaryan, Deputy
Minister of Social Welfare of Armenia.

"For this purpose financial means are allocated from rehabilitation
accessories", she said. There are no significant changes in the
allocations of financial means for invalids in the budget of 2010 but
if we compare them with 2009 and 2010 years, the difference will be
not more than 2-3 million drams. Small reductions took place in some
programs but no single invalid who needs provision of services and
assistance in rehabilitation suffered.

"If the number of invalids receiving hearing aids was 120, this year
it is 20", she said. The process of providing wheelchairs is not
delayed due to the lack of budget means but the donor organizations
which implement co-funding of this program could not provide them
due to crisis. "We conducted re-distribution of financial means of
different programs in the frames of state budget and in a month people
will get their wheelchairs", said Baghdasaryan.

Provision of medical aid and service are planned in the frames of the
programs of Ministry of Health of Armenia. "The Ministry of Health of
Armenia envisage to allocate about 31 million drams by the programs
of service of invalids", said Baghdasaryan. In 2010 state budget
allocations for social protection of population will make more than
242.4 billion drams. Weighted average of social expenses in GDP makes
7.5% which exceeds the indicator defined in pre-electoral program
of the President of Armenia and government program by 6.2%. ($1 –
387.41 drams).