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On December 20 the RA NA Standing Committee on Health Care, Maternity and Childhood jointly with the USAID funded Support to the National Assembly of Armenia Program organized parliamentary hearings on the necessity of the investment of Continuing Medical Professional Development (CPD) system in the RA. The RA NA deputies, representatives of relevant ministries, NGOs, educational institutions, chairs and members of medical professional associations took part in the hearings. Welcoming the attendees, the Committee Chairman Ara Babloyan talked about the necessity of medical aid in the RA and the CPD processes of medical staff in the sphere of service and investment of the system. He has noted that the CPD processes are in the basis of healthcare system development and are an important component and precondition of rendering qualified healthcare services. The goal of the medical CPD process is to improve and develop medical workers’ working ability, use of their knowledge and skills during whole professional life.

The expert of the USAID funded Support to the National Assembly of Armenia Program Murad Kirakosyan introduced the CPD approaches in developed countries. According to the expert, in 1998 in the UK the definition CPD entered into use, and in 2001 the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) adopted the Basel Declaration. And today among European countries in terms of the CPD processes the UK is in the position, and its legislation has defined requirements not only on the doctors’ professional knowledge and skills, but also on almost all their professional activities. Murad Kirakosyan presented in detail the kinds of the CPD events applied in Europe and the U.S. and their application.

Talking about the necessity of the investment of the CPD system, the expert of the NA Standing Committee Ara Ter-Grigoryan has presented the order of obtaining of the certificates of the Medical CPD and the credits, which are based on the development of theoretical knowledge, the development and self-education of the practical skills. According to the expert, during 5 years the specialist will fill the necessary quantity of credits and will receive a certificate, giving them an opportunity to continue his/her professional activity. In Ara Ter-Grigoryan’s word, the investment of the new system will require amendments to the RA law “On the Medical Aid and Service of the Population” and to a number of laws.

The member of the CPD Council adjunct to the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation (RF), Deputy Chairman of the Association of the Medical Aid Quality and Medical Education Professional Unions Zalim Balkizov introduced the CPD approaches and principles in the RF. According to the Speaker, studying the experience of the countries which invested the system, from December 1, 2013 12 regions, 13 higher educational institutions and 16 medical organizations of the RF will invest the CPD system, highlighting the role of the professional development in the sphere of medicine.