YEREVAN, February 19. /ARKA/. The government of Armenia has increased payments to medical institutions for assisting with childbirth and the care of women giving birth, Health Minister Arsen Torosyan said today.
He said the government’s budget for 2019 provides for an additional release of 700 million drams (about $1.43 million) for obstetric services. The current payment for assisting with childbirth is 107,000 drams (about $220).
‘As a result, the payment for natural childbirth has increased from 107,000 drams to 140,000 drams, the payment for childbirth with caesarean section from 198,000 drams to 220,000 drams. The payment for complicated childbirth is 165,000 drams,” said Torosyan in a Facebook live broadcasting.
The minister stressed that the bulk of the additional funding will be used to raise the salaries of medical staff. “We often receive reports about shadow turnover of money in this area. With these initiatives we are trying to put an end to it,” he said.
Torosyan said that the medical staff will be receiving higher salaries and urged women in labor and their relatives not to give doctors extra money.
“Maternity hospitals may provide additional paid services to women in childbirth, which are not directly related to childbirth, such as additional wards and additional services,” Torosyan said.