In Armenia invalids will get orthopedic aid in 2009-2010: assistance in the amount of about 900 million drams is envisaged

YEREVAN, November 19. /ARKA/. “In 2009-2010, about 900 million drams will be provided for invalids of Armenia by the programs of prosthesis-orthopedic assistance “, said Jemma Baghdasaryan, Deputy Minister of Social Welfare of Armenia.

“For this purpose financial means are allocated from rehabilitation accessories”, she said. There are no significant changes in the allocations of financial means for invalids in the budget of 2010 but if we compare them with 2009 and 2010 years, the difference will be not more than 2-3 million drams. Small reductions took place in some programs but no single invalid who needs provision of services and assistance in rehabilitation suffered.

“If the number of invalids receiving hearing aids was 120, this year it is 20”, she said. The process of providing wheelchairs is not delayed due to the lack of budget means but the donor organizations which implement co-funding of this program could not provide them due to crisis. “We conducted re-distribution of financial means of different programs in the frames of state budget and in a month people will get their wheelchairs”, said Baghdasaryan.

Provision of medical aid and service are planned in the frames of the programs of Ministry of Health of Armenia. “The Ministry of Health of Armenia envisage to allocate about 31 million drams by the programs of service of invalids”, said Baghdasaryan. In 2010 state budget allocations for social protection of population will make more than 242.4 billion drams. Weighted average of social expenses in GDP makes 7.5% which exceeds the indicator defined in pre-electoral program of the President of Armenia and government program by 6.2%. ($1 – 387.41 drams). --0--