According to the information of www.aravot.am, Ara Ter-Grigoryan (see the photo) whose name is usually linked with the Kickbacks Case has been engaged with the National Assembly Healthcare, Motherhood, and Childhood Standing Commission as an expert for a few months now. Let us note that he assumed the office of the head of the State Healthcare Agency (SHA), Ministry of Healthcare, in 2000, but resigned the office in May 2012, at his own request. Immediately after Mr. Ter-Grigoryan’s resignation, Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan stated during a consultation that the healthcare institutions acted illicitly, medical institutions concealed their real reports. Let us remind that the SHA is the body that signs contracts regarding the medical services provided to the populace within the scope of public procurement and ensures compliance of work done by hospitals within the scope of public procurement with the established criteria of quality and amount. A. Ter-Grigoryan is considered as the “most long-lasting” in the field of healthcare. He has worked with ministers of healthcare from different parties – Ararat Mkrtchyan, currently a member of the Armenian National Congress (ANC) opposition coalition, Norayr Davidyan who got the portfolio of the minister within the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF) quota, and Harutyun Nushikyan, a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party (PAP). They often link A. Ter-Grigoryan with Ara Babloyan, the chairman of the National Assembly Healthcare, Motherhood, and Childhood Standing Commission, pointing out that Ter-Grigoryan is A. Babloyan’s “man” in the Ministry of Healthcare and has greatly contributed to the flourishing of A. Babloyan’s healthcare business. www.aravot.am inquired of Ara Babloyan, the chairman of the National Assembly Healthcare, Motherhood, and Childhood Standing Commission, whether it was appropriate that a person whose name is linked with kickbacks, maldistribution of state finances is currently engaged with the National Assembly commission and make judgments on legislation. With regard to the above-mentioned questions, Mr. Babloyan said: “If everyone worked in the Republic of Armenia like Ara Ter-Grigoryan does, we would make great progress. In the first place, he had applied to the minister to transfer him to another job before he handed in his resignation, since he thought that he had held that office for long enough and was tired of it. I highly appreciate his
qualities and experience. Why shouldn’t such an experienced organizer of healthcare be employed as an expert in such a serious cause as legislative activities? If someone talks about some kickbacks, I want to tell them that there is no such thing; if it was there, we know quite well that we are quite capable of punishing people. No one dismissed him; he resigned at his own request. And the period we worked together, 1991-1997, was the most difficult period for the Republic of Armenia. During that time, Ara and I were able to provide services to the whole army in our hospitals. We visited different countries together to bring medication, carried out many projects to help those who suffered during the war.”
Tatev HARUTYUNYAN
