New rehabilitation department opens at Vanadzor Medical Center

On March 15, the official opening ceremony of a new rehabilitation department took place at Vanadzor Medical Centre. The event was attended by RA Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan, French Ambassador to Armenia Anne Louyot, Co-founder and Chairman of the Aznavour Foundation Nicolas Aznavour, CEO of the Aznavour Foundation Kristina Aznavour, as well as representatives of local self-government bodies of Vanadzor and other guests. Nicolas Aznavour and the director of Vanadzor MC Vahagn Mkrtchyan took part in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the opening of the department.

As a result of a large-scale war in Artsakh in 2020, thousands of young people received serious injuries and still need treatment in order to improve their quality of life. Weapons used during the war (including banned weapons) caused serious brain and spine injuries that require long-term physical and psychological recovery. Taking into account the above-mentioned points, the Aznavour Foundation initiated its “Provision of Mixed Rehabilitation in Post-War Armenia” project, with the support of the Crisis and Support Center of the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, that provided up to 205,000 euros, as part of significant humanitarian aid put in place for the benefit of Armenia.

The goal of the project was to target several issues at once, creating an opportunity for psychological and physical rehabilitation for a wide range of beneficiaries. Within the framework of the project, a large rehabilitation department was created at the Vanadzor Medical Centre in Lori region of Armenia. In order to ensure the best quality of services, the department was provided with twelve units of rehabilitation equipment, which meet the highest international standards of functionality and quality. Besides, within the framework of the project, local specialists were given the opportunity to take part in training sessions by experienced French doctors. The number of specialists who gained new knowledge in the field of physical rehabilitation and psychological support is currently 14. Two more groups of French professionals will arrive in Vanadzor in May.

During the program, specialists from France worked with over 120 people who lost relatives in the recent war. They held meetings and consultations on the topic of prevention and overcoming PTSD.

The establishment of the rehabilitation department in the Lori region will facilitate the work of similar centres in Yerevan and Gyumri which are often overloaded. It will also improve the life of the people who had to travel to the capital from distant regions each time they needed treatment.

The center is already providing support to our compatriots who suffered from the Artsakh war and to other patients in need of rehabilitation treatment, but after the official opening ceremony and the awareness campaign, it will provide even more assistance to the beneficiaries.

The project was implemented with the participation of the Crisis and Support Centre of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. The other partners of the project are the RA Ministry of Health and Vanadzor Medical Center.