Harutyun Kushkyan, the Minister of Healthcare, will hand over his ministerial portfolio soon. During a conversation with www.aravot.am, the minister shared his feelings concerning handing over the field he had looked after and taken care of and whom he saw as the minister after he would resign.
In response to our question whether he didn’t regret that he would hand over the portfolio of the minister of the dear field, he said, “I have done as much as possible for the development of the field. I want to say that I am satisfied with everything. It should happen one day, it is not heritage that I should keep, there is nothing to regret about, the political course has changed, we have left. We shall wait and see the rest.”
We inquired where he saw himself, he said, “In the businesses where I am involved, I will deal with Erebuni, Nairi. I have very good projects, they just haven’t approved yet, once they approve, I will carry them out.”
In response to our question whether there wouldn’t be problems concerning his hospitals, if a different political force managed the field, whether there could be different kinds of pressure, Mr. Kushkyan said, “I don’t think, because I generally try to work well. Let’s say, I will not have serious problems.” We inquired whether everything was clear, Mr. Kushkyan said, “No one can work 100% clearly whether he wants it or not. There are always some miscalculations. Generally, I have led my teams both in the public and private sectors to improvement, I didn’t
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do things that would make them face problems. I don’t think that I will have any problems, if a different political force manages the field. I think on the contrary, because our hospitals are very strong hospitals. It would be very bad for the development of the Armenian healthcare as a whole, if they weren’t there.” According to Harutyun Kushkyan, Erebuni hospital has been very important for our people and the previous experience since the earthquake has testified to that, “It is a hospital with serious potential – it is unique given its specialists and approaches.”
Mr. Kushkyan didn’t agree with our observation that those hospitals had become strong during his ministerial tenure, stating that they had been leading hospitals in 1993-94, “On the contrary, I restrained my hospitals, when I was the minister, in order there may be justice – as if I helped my hospitals. Although they were mature hospitals already, I really didn’t prioritize my hospitals, when I was the minister. One should do so, in order to be able to fully work, because if one only helps his hospitals, one surely cannot fully develop his field.”
In response to our question whether he didn’t fear, since regardless of the field – medicine – business was business and politics was closely related to business and since the relations between the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP) were tense, the minister said, “No, why should I fear, how was it 5 years ago? Not at all. I don’t think that the relations are tense. There may be some political struggle, tension, but I haven’t entered that field. I have always separated medicine. It has such tactics that one should help everyone, regardless of the political situation, we should help everyone and develop our medicine, everyone in his respective place. If someone has a problem, it is his problem.” Mr. Kushkyan sees Ara Babloyan in his position, “It is a very good candidate, very good, 100% good candidate, no doubt.”
Ara Babloyan elected the head of the permanent commission on healthcare, maternity and childhood said in regard to the rumors of his becoming a minister during a conversation with us that he wasn’t familiar with those, “I returned at night, I haven’t been here, I didn’t know whose candidacy was talked about.”
Hripsime JEBEJYAN
