20:05,
YEREVAN, AUGUST 14, ARMENPRESS. Acute shortage of medications and medical supplies has been growing ever since Azerbaijan imposed a complete blockade upon Nagorno-Karabakh(Artsakh). In order to transport patients receiving hemodialysis to specialized medical facilities in Armenia, the Ministry of Healthcare of the Republic of Artsakh has appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross ,otherwise the patients will die after a week of not receiving the necessary care and medication, the Healthcare Ministry of Artsakh said in a press release.
In the Republican Medical Center, a total of 41 patients were continuously receiving hemodialysis, 19 of them were evacuated by the ICRC office of the Republic of Armenia in recent days, and another 10 will be evacuated tomorrow. Twelve of these patients declined their opportunity of transportation.
“ In about two weeks the medical supplies needed for hemodialysis will run out, which has forced us to opt for the possibility of evacuating patients. Without hemodialysis the level of nitrogen in the patient's body will drastically rise, leading to their death in about a week of time. Patients who suffer from the terminal stage of acute and chronic kidney failure have been severely affected by the blockade as they can’t follow a special diet, adding additional dangers for their life and health” said anesthesiologist-reanimatologist K. Avagimyan.
“I am bedridden, I have a caregiver at home. I want to live, people like me also deserve to live. World, please help the people of Artsakh and the all help all seriously ill people to survive. I can't go to Yerevan in this state and receive treatment, because I want to die confined to my wheelchair here in Artsakh and be buried in my own cemetery. – said 64-year-old Vera Hovsepyan, who lost her eyesight due to diabetes, cannot walk and has been receiving hemodialysis for the past five years.
When suppression of kidney function becomes life-threatening, dialysis or kidney transplantation is performed. Dialysis is a procedure to remove waste products and excess fluid from the blood when the kidneys stop working properly. The method is used in the terminal stage of severe kidney failure when the kidneys no longer perform their function.
For a long time, Azerbaijan has been hindering the transportation of vital medicines and medical supplies to Artsakh by Red Cross vehicles. As a result, life-saving and other critically needed medicines and supplies are increasingly lacking, leading to deaths and deteriorating health conditions.