A New World Bank-Supported Medical Center in Martuni to Offer Modernized Facilities to Residents of Gegharkunik Region

November 6, 2023 - Newly constructed and equipped with modern equipment, Martuni Medical Center officially opened over the weekend in the Gegharkunik region of Armenia, supported by funds from the World Bank's Disease Prevention and Control (DPCP) project. The project seeks to help -optimize and modernize the two existing health facilities -- Martuni Hospital and Martuni Polyclinic, which have been merged into one multi-functional medical facility - Martuni Medical Center (MC).

As part of the Disease Prevention and Control project, the World Bank has allocated approximately $ 5, 6 million for the modernization of Martuni MC, which covers 80 percent of the overall cost needed for the repairs. Built in 1987, previously the hospital services of Martuni Medical Center (MC) were located in a very poor building conditions of a three-story building, with outdated medical equipment and worn-out furniture. The new center is equipped with the modern medical equipment and furniture, hemodialysis, and blood departments, computed tomography equipment. The latter, for instance, is not yet accessible in the neighboring communities, such as Vardenis, thus including the extended target group of beneficiaries for this new medical facility to Vardenis residents as well. The newly opened medical center will ensure accessible medical care for a total number of over 100 000 beneficiaries in the region.

"Martuni Medical Center is one of 21 regional hospitals, which are being renovated, constructed, and equipped with World Bank financing. With this the World Bank supports the provision of medical care in the regions of Armenia, providing local populations with quality diagnostic and curative services they would previously have found only in the capital Yerevan. Investments like these help reduce inequalities in access to care," said Carolin Geginat, World Bank Country Manager for Armenia.

"Previously, in some cases patients had to spend money either for transportation or the accommodation to get the medical services, even for the state-funded healthcare services. With the opening of Martuni MC we are doing step forward in bringing the services closer to our citizens. This is at the core of our policy: bringing all services closer to our citizens, which also fits into the logic of balanced territorial development and ensures effective use of available resources", mentioned Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan in his opening speech.

The project will be completed in June 2024, delivering one more well-equipped medical facility in the Vayots Dzor region. People residing outside of capital Yerevan will receive the hospital services in the upgraded regional hospitals with modern biomedical equipment and re-skilled and up-skilled qualified staff. Series of trainings of physicians and nurses will be carried out through Government financing, aimed at further improving the quality of medical services at the newly established medical center.

The World Bank is currently financing 10 projects in Armenia totaling $500 million. Since its inception in Armenia in 1992, the World Bank has provided around $2.7 billion from International Development Association (IDA) to which Armenia became a donor in 2023, International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), and trust funds. The World Bank is committed to continuing its support to Armenia in its development path for reducing poverty and sharing prosperity.