80 PERCENT OF YEREVAN RESIDENTS CHOOSE THEIR DOCTORS

''This year 54 billion 482 million 700 thousand drams were appropriated from the state budget to health and this is more by 14,5 percent than the last year,'' Armen Soghoyan, health and social department head of the municipality, told a news conference today. He said 19 billion 168 million of the total fund is envisaged for out-of-hospital services and 19 billion 11 million drams for hospital services.

The department head assured that primary circles received more money this year. ''The purpose is to strengthen the primary circle avoiding complications of citizen illnesses as well as expensive medical aid of hospital service,'' he mentioned.

Speaking about program 2008, Soghoyan said that this year the institute of family doctors will be continued in the primary circles. He said 43 community doctors will be trained. He said as a result Yerevan will have 427 family doctors and 285 family nurses. The department head informed that as of January 1, 80 percent of capital residents have already chosen their family doctors.