Health Sector
Lori has 36 medical institutions, which include one hospital, five medical centers, three health centers, five polyclinics and 20 primary health care centers. Working at these medical institutions are 426 doctors and 970 ancillary medical personnel.
In 2012, there were 17,651 general medicine inpatient hospital visits. Of those visits 21 percent or 3,687 patients were fee for service; 79 percent or 13,964 patients were state supported. In addition, 282,206 patients made 705,514 outpatient visits at an average of 2.5 visits per person.
Just 13 percent of Lori’s residents, or 30,000 people, visit an ophthalmologist for basic eye care and eyeglass prescriptions. There are nine ophthalmologists throughout Lori in state health care facilities who provide basic eye care services, however, no ophthalmology departments in the medical centers provide care for more serious eye disease or perform surgery. For serious eye disease, surgery or laser procedures residents travel to Yerevan if they can afford the physician fees and travel costs. The Marz has two private eye centers with ophthalmologists who perform cataract surgeries and they see approximately 800 patients a year. There is also a branch of the Howard Karageozyan Foundation, which provides charitable eye care and dental services for children.
According to the leadership of the Marz, the needs of the residents for basic eye care are minimally covered. However, there is no surgery or care for serious eye diseases and disorders. Few visit the private centers and people prefer to wait for the AECP’s bi-annual visits when they can have basic eye care and eyeglass prescriptions at no cost. The vulnerable also receive surgery at no cost on the MEH — the AECP is not permitted to provide surgery for anyone above the poverty line.
Following are the number of patients seen and the procedures performed on the MEH in Lori, 2005 through 2013.
During the AECP’s last mission to the Lori Marz in 2013, of those screened nearly 3.5 percent were diagnosed with advanced glaucoma, 20.3 percent with cataract, 1.5 percent with corneal disorders and 16.8 percent with fundus disorders. Using this data and the demographics of Lori, the AECP estimated the prevalence of primary eye diseases among the adult population (16 and over) in the Marz.
The government of Lori tells us that the best location for an eye center will be in the city of Spitak, due to the devastating earthquake that took place there in 1988 — and the subsequent disarray afterward. The Armenian government will donate a space and build it out according to the specifications for an eye center— reception area, examination rooms, outpatient surgery and eyeglass area. The EyeCare Project will provide all of the necessary equipment.
It is essential that the center have a permanent and highly qualified and trained staff, which will include a surgical ophthalmologist, ophthalmological nurses and ancillary personnel. If local ophthalmologists and/or surgical nurses are considered for a position they will be screened through extensive interviews and testing to ensure they have the qualifications and experience to serve as the primary surgical ophthalmologist and director of the centeer. If they assume a local position the AECP will provide training along with mentors — a chief surgeon and a surgical nurse who will assist in surgeries and help the local staff gain the skills, confidence and the trust of Lori residents.
