The society is not able to take advantage of the medical service based on the state order for various reasons. Doctors take monetary compensation from the patients by different justifications.
The report will present the most popular corruption manifestations concerning medical aid based on the state order. Let’s say a patient goes to the hospital due to sharp deterioration of the cardiovascular system. Accordingly, they will measure the patient’s pressure, carry out electrocardiogram, inject some sedative pills and, finally, order to pay. If the patient expresses his objections related to the payment, they will justify saying that the first medical aid is implemented in the framework of the state order, however, when some special complex equipments are involved in this process, payments must be done. It is not clear which kinds of equipments are considered to be special complex ones. For example, lancet, tongs or electrocardiogram device are involved in which category: complex or simple. Poor patient does not even know that, especially in the regions, there is no special complex medical equipment.
Now, let us pass on medications. As a rule, patients, who get treated by the state order, obtain general medications from the pharmacies. It is characteristic that the treating doctor advises from which pharmacy the patient should obtain the medication. There are cases when the treating doctor tells the patient that this medication is not in the list of imported drugs in Armenia and it is sold only in this specific pharmacy. Consequently, it is not difficult to guess that the medicines defined in the framework of the state order are sold in the pharmacies; moreover, many doctors have their own pharmacies. For example, in Armavir city, there are very few pharmacies that have no direct or indirect contact with a professional from the medical center. It just happens so that the same drug is purchased, firstly, by public procurement, and secondly, by the patient.
Ridiculous episodes start in the medical centers when a pregnant woman first visits a doctor. Ultra sound checks require money. The doctor justifies the payment by the fact that a woman is considered to be pregnant after examination and registration, before that, a woman is not pregnant for them and has to pay. The first day everything is payable including the blood test. The doctor makes appointments with the pregnant woman once a month, but if the woman has some health problems and it is not the appointment day, she has to pay because it is considered to be an additional service. If the mother wants to know the gender of the baby, she has to pay either.
Children are mostly treated under the state order and there is no medication for them in the hospitals.