ANOTHER SUPPORT FOR ARTSAKH BY MORE THAN 50 AMERICAN DOCTORS

 For the second year in a row, specialist doctors from the United States Adventist Health Glendale Medical Center are conducting consultations, research, and surgical interventions in Artsakh. Since September 29, more than 50 specialists at the Republican Medical Center of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Artsakh, Arevik Pediatric Medical Union, Oncology Service, Maternal and Child Health Care Center and individual districts have provided high quality care in the multifaceted specialties. These specialists performed orthopedic surgeries - knee joint prosthesis and arthroscopy of joints, surgical interventions for rectal and intestinal diseases and general surgery, stenting of chronic obstruction of the heart vessels and installation of heart pacemaker, angiography of the pathology of the brain vessels, as well as other surgeries

According to Arevhat Aleksanyan, a physician-coordinator at the Republican Medical Center, local specialists have been preparing for the program for the past six months as part of a briefing with Adventist Health Glendale Medical Center in the United States about the need for tools and medicines, as well as prescribing patients with various complications in advance, in order to include the necessary physicians in the visiting group. The project was coordinated with the assistance of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund's American branch. The group consisted of 27 doctors, the rest were nurses, technical specialists, administrators. In addition to medical facilities in Stepanakert, they provided medical care in the communities of Karintak, Shosh, Krasni, Getavan, Taghaser, Sargsyashen and others. Along with the medical service, Adventist Health Glendale Medical Center donated a large number of medicines, modern equipment and various prostheses to Artsakh medical institutions. Traumatologists, specialized doctors Shahan and Stepan Yakubyan brothers, together with local traumatists, particularly Karen Davtyan, performed complex surgeries to allow patients to walk more fully. Los Angeles heart invasive interventional cardiologist Sargis Kiramijyan informed that they have tried not only to perform surgical interventions but also to share their experience, leading techniques with local cardiologists. He explains that there are many patients with various heart problems. 5-6 surgeries were performed daily with the local doctors. The specialist informed that some high-risk surgeries took several hours and all the interventions were successful. Representative of the American Group Coordinating Body Romik Iskandaryan informed that 70% of the medical staff are Armenians, others are foreigners. He explained that a large number of medicines and medical devices were difficult to obtain and that they had been prepared for months. In January-February the cargo was shipped to Georgia and then to the customs office.

Sufficient medication was also provided to the oncology service, whose head Armen Hayriyan informed that they were expensive enough and were not included in the state order list: patients will be provided if needed. According to him, among the specialists of the medical center ՙAdventist Health Glendale՚ was a doctor-oncologist, Professor Mihran Shirinyan, who, like last year, together with the other oncologists provided consulting assistance. This year the oncology doctors introduced their patients to the professor and discussed the treatment procedure, tactics, possible changes or complications. More than 5 oncological surgeries have also been carried out as a result of the collaboration with the surgeon-coloproctologist (a physician who operates in colon and rectal diseases). According to the preliminary list, patients were examined and consulted, and the professor also received those who were not in the list. A. Hayriyan expressed hope that the program would be continuous, and in parallel local oncologists and other specialists would, according to the agreement, travel to the US to undergo the necessary qualification courses.