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“The ratio of healthcare expenditure to GDP cannot meet the need that the healthcare sphere of our country has. The budgetary funds allocated to healthcare are no less than 4% of the GDP in our neighboring countries. We have the most important target to get closer to that 4%,” the Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan said during the preliminary debate of the 2023 state budget.

146 billion 373 million AMD will be allocated to the sphere of healthcare by the 2023 state budget. The amount of money for the current year is 141 billion 415 million AMD. The actual expenditures amounted to 157 billion AMD in 2021, which was due to the pandemic. 5 billion AMD will be allocated from the state budget for the expenditures aimed at overcoming the coronavirus in 2023.

The RA Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan noted that the budget increases for 2023 will be directed to raising the salaries of healthcare workers.

“1.7 billion AMD will be allocated for this reform. But we have been guided by a very important principle for the Government, that the salaries will be reviewed only in the case of reforming the personal performance indicators of healthcare workers, so that it also affects the quality of services,” she said.

The Minister of Health assured that a number of programs will be implemented, including the Maternal and Child Health Protection program, which will be financed with 21 billion 17 million AMD. 20 billion 103 million 500 thousand AMD will be allocated to the treatment of cardiovascular, diabetes and malignant neoplasms.

According to Anahit Avanesyan, the Government plans to construct, reconstruct and re-equip at least 50 medical centers in the next 50 years. That program will continue in 2023. Attention will be paid to the reconstruction and re-equipment of regional outpatient clinics. Polyclinics will be rebuilt in Shirak region and Vanadzor community.

Anahit Avanesyan said that the prices of some medical services will also be revised next year. The Minister noted that the prices of some services may increase, and there will be a price reduction in the case of some services.

According to the plans of the World Bank, the medical center of the Martuni community in the Gegharkunik region, which has 69 beds, will be put into operation in April 2023, and the medical center of Yeghegnadzor, which has 36 beds, will be put into operation in the fall of 2023. The building of the Vanadzor Infectious Disease Hospital will also be rebuilt.

The Minister of Health answered many questions of the Committee members, which were related to the problems in the system and ways to solve them.

Anahit Avanesyan emphasized the importance of the introduction of electronic health system.

The draft law on RA State Budget for 2023 regarding the healthcare sphere was primarily debated at the joint sitting of the NA Standing Committees on Health Care and on Financial-Credit and Budgetary Affairs on November 4.