The President of the RA Ombudsman’s Office, Arman Tatoyan, recently highlighted the violation of the rights of health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Tatoyan raised concerns about the distribution of funds within the healthcare system. Previously, funds were allocated according to population needs, but it seems that this practice has changed. Tatoyan questioned the Minister of Health, Anahit Avanesyan, about the change and received confirmation that all funds are now allocated with the consent of the Ombudsman.

An important principle to consider is that of “offering” in the provision of healthcare services. There are two types of contracts used: restricted budget agreements and financial agreements. Restricted budget agreements have fixed amounts for each program, while financial agreements provide funds based on the actual completion of work. In the case of healthcare, five offers are carried out based on the financial agreement. The remaining 17 offers, financed by organizations with financial resources, cover areas such as medical care for chronic diseases and emergency assistance.

Tatoyan also highlighted that the Prime Minister seems to have overlooked the redistribution of financial limits for eight payments among the 17 offers. This contradicts the reassurance given to the population that the state order is being implemented fully in accordance with the principle of “offering,” without limitations or revisions. Additionally, it was mentioned that medical treatment is paid for out of the available funds.

Furthermore, there are concerns about medical centers that do not have an order to reject the state order. The authority responsible for placing the state order determines the non-compliance of applications based on “inappropriate” requirements. Even the five offers carried out based on the “offering” principle do not meet the requirements of 2023. This program has been in place since 2020 and has been extended to the current year, which raises questions of fairness.

The violations highlighted by the RA President of the Ombudsman’s Office indicate that the Ministry of Health has not properly upheld the operation of the RA CSTO. It is essential to address these concerns and ensure the rights of health care workers are respected during these challenging times.

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