Armenian opposition pledges healthcare overhaul in June

Armenian opposition politician Narek Karapetyan said on Wednesday that his party would launch sweeping healthcare reforms if it wins parliamentary elections scheduled for June, promising lower medicine prices and reduced medical costs.

Karapetyan, a member of the Political Council of the Strong Armenia party, met with doctors to discuss deep-rooted problems in the sector. He said healthcare reform was one of five economic steps his party intends to implement to drive change in the country.

“We have five economic steps for change in Armenia, one of which is reducing the cost of medicine and overall medical expenses,” Karapetyan told the meeting.

Medical professionals present highlighted systemic shortcomings, ranging from the closure of pathology departments in hospitals to difficulties in disease diagnosis and a lack of recognition for doctors’ work.

“We don’t have a system. Globally, 90 percent of a nation’s health depends on the system and only 10 percent on specialists,” one doctor said.