KNIGHTS SEND $425,000 IN MEDICAL SUPPLIES TO ARMENIA
by Tom Vartabedian

0-03-22-knights-send–425000-in-medical-supplies-t o-armenia
Monday March 22, 2010

North Andover, Mass. – Medical equipment valued at $425,000 should
go a long way toward helping residents at the Miasnikyan Regional
Health Care Center in the Armavir District of Armenia as well as
Yerevan Central Oncology Hospital.

Sponsoring the project were members of Ararat Lodge, Knights of Vartan,
in Cambridge through the International Medical Equipment Collaborative
(IMEC), a humanitarian group designed to upgrade impoverished hospitals
and medical centers throughout the world.

This marked the seventh shipment in as many years bound for Armenia,
totaling nearly $3 million in outside contributions.

The latest freight consisted of surgical supplies, office equipment,
an entire conference room, complete optical setup, patient room suites,
a medical library and physical therapy equipment.

Another pallet of anesthesiology equipment was sent to Berd to assist
a polyclinic in that village.

Providing generous support toward the project was the United Armenian
Fund and Armenian Genocide Commemorative Committee of Merrimack
Valley. Transportation alone runs about $10,000, most of which was
subsidized by the Knights. As for the equipment, nearly all is donated
by businesses and corporations throughout the country.

Coordinating the project was humanitarian Jack Medzorian, who makes
annual trips to Armenia in an effort to meet and address the needs,
particularly with schools and hospitals. He’s seeing the good that’s
being done.

"Having visited these hospitals and clinics, I’ve seen first-hand
their lack of basic equipment and supplies, especially in the villages
which seem to be neglected," said Medzorian. "We’re encouraging
the population to stay in these villages and not move to the bigger
cities."

Twenty years ago when Medzorian visited Berd just before the Azeri
war, it was a vibrant community with 12,000 residents. Since then,
the population has been halved with no economic opportunities and an
80 percent unemployment rate.

"These people are virtually deprived of proper basic medical care
because of poor facilities and supplies," he says. "Most of my
contacts aren’t with patients but with service providers and they’re
so grateful at any assistance received. What we send is safe, updated
equipment. They consider it a treasure."

According to volunteer Albert S. Movsesian, IMEC has taken a big
interest in Armenia because of the need.

"We have people who go back and forth to monitor the equipment and see
that it’s being used properly," he brought out. "The suburban areas
in Armenia need so much help. We’re providing valuable assistance to
that country. It’s all about people helping people."

On this day, Medzorian and Movsesian were joined by three other
volunteers: Varujan Masrof, Albert Tsaturyan and Mardiros Aurelian,
another prominent benefactor. The group held hands in prayer as the
last pallet was loaded onto a truck. IMEC is a faith-based organization
which occupies some 200,000 square feet inside the former Lucent
Technologies building, once Western Electric Co.

"Every time we send a shipment, our prayers are sure to follow," said
Medzorian. "The people at IMEC are truly an unsung breed. They’re
ordinary people in everyday life doing extraordinary deeds. The
Knights of Vartan are extremely fortunate to partner with them and
efficiently carry out all aspects of our mission effectively."

The last shipment leaving IMEC in North Andover arrived in Berdzor
(formerly Lachin) Hospital and clinics in the Kashatagh region of
Karabagh, valued at $365,000.

The container arrived in Poti, Georgia, by ocean freight, then
transported overland to Yerevan, offloaded and delivered to Berdzor.

Coordinator for this shipment was Mary Matosian, project director,
Tufenkian Charitable Foundation.

Total population served in this region was 8,000. Most of the clinics
here are accessible only by dirt roads, especially south of Berdzor
to Kelbajar and south of the Arax River.

Other health centers which have benefitted greatly with such acts of
kindness include: Kovsakan Hospital, population 4,000; Ishkanadzor
Clinic, population 2,000, and Moshatagh Clinic, population 1,000.

Roads are often unpaved, dangerous and almost impossible to navigate
in winter. Emergency cases rarely reach hospitals in a timely manner
and babies are often delivered by the side of the road.

The clinic in Moshatagh is located inside a dilapidated school building
where three rooms are allocated to medical needs. Three nurses are
working here to assist the surrounding villages. The only furniture
was two beds and no medical equipment until help arrived from the
Knights of Vartan and IMEC.

Berdzor is better equipped with eight doctors, five nurse
practitioners, a midwife and 10 nurses. The regional hospital there
serves the entire area and has the region’s only pharmacy over 1,314
square miles. An ultrasound machine is brought from another region
once a month. Often, though, patients cannot honor their appointments
due to a lack of transportation.

In Kovsakan, the situation is just as bleak. Although it is called
a hospital, this facility should not be allowed to function as a
health center, according to reports. It can only offer consultations,
distribute limited medicine, perform vaccination, deliver babies and
transport serious cases to a regional hospital. The government plans
to build a large clinic to replace the present facility.

"Our team includes dedicated members whose work is a labor of love,"
added Medzorian. "We are rewarded many times over with the pleasure and
satisfaction we receive knowing that critical supplies are equipment
are going to help needy patients in Armenia and Karabagh."

Those interested in donating used medical equipment or a financial
contribution to help defray costs may send a check payable to the
Knights of Vartan, Armenia Medical Aid Fund, c/o Jack Medzorian,
8 Berkshire Drive, Winchester, MA 01890 or e-mail jmedzorian@aol.com.