Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206
T | 818-243-6222
F | 818-243-7222
E | [email protected]
Contact : Sarkis Kotanjian
For Immediate Release
March 29, 2006
Los Angeles Based Architect Designs Karabakh Hospital
Plan Calls for Major, Large-Scale Reconstruction
Los Angeles, CA – On March 6, 2006 Armenia Fund Western U.S. Region
led a hospital reconstruction team to the war-torn Martakert region
of Nagorno-Karabakh. The purpose of the site visit was to formulate
architectural and engineering plans for the new regional healthcare
facility. The project will be funded through donations collected at the
2005 Telethon as part of the Martakert Regional Development plan. In
addition, a number of long time benefactors in the western U.S. region
adopted specific departments of the hospital for reconstruction.
Arturo Fribourg, a Los Angeles based architect, specializing in
public works and health care facilities was a part of the team
visiting the hospital. Fribourg will provide the conceptual design
of the hospital. His plan, among others, will address several
programmatic issues facing the hospital. Upon completion of the
design phase, Karabakh-based architect Mamikon Farsian, will adapt
the program to local construction and medical codes and will prepare
the reconstruction program drawings, in accordance with Fribourg’s
plan for the hospital.
Prior to his departure to Armenia, Fribourg worked with Dr. Alina
Dorian, senior program manager at the UCLA Center for Public Health
and Disasters, to map out the problems and initial plans. Dorian,
who is currently in Karabakh, is part of the team as the public
healthcare advisor. She will prepare the region’s healthcare program
and will oversee the development of a modern healthcare administration.
Built during the early 1970’s, the Soviet-era regional hospital
has deteriorated due to a lack of proper maintenance. Recently, the
hospital was severely damaged from the war, suffering among others,
aerial missile attacks and looting. The renovated hospital will
incorporate the vital aspects of a western standard hospital to meet
the healthcare needs of the region.
During the visit to Karabakh, Fribourg met with H.E. Arkady Ghoukasian,
President and H.E. Anoushavan Danielian, Prime Minister of the
Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. President Ghoukasian thanked Fribourg
for embarking on this challenging project and pledged full support
for the proper and timely completion of the project. Led by Armenia
Fund Inc.’s Executive Director, Sarkis Kotanjian, the team also met
with Health Minister Dr. Zoya Lazaryan and Chief Administrator of the
Hospital Dr. Sergei Ohanian to learn about immediate and long term
healthcare needs of the Martakert Region as well as daily problems
facing the hospital.
According to the schedule, at the end of April, all architectural
renderings and design schematics will be completed, paving the way
for a full-scale reconstruction during the late spring months of
2006. The project is expected to be completed within the next 12 –
18 months, factoring in the pause of construction during the harsh
winter months. Upon completion of construction, Armenia Fund will place
modern medical furniture and state of the art equipment designed to
meet regional healthcare demands. Currently, Armenia Fund is working on
obtaining special grants and in-kind donations from major healthcare
providers throughout the United States. For more information on this
project, please visit
Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation
established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and
infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh.
Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of “Hayastan”
All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698