In order to provide medical care and service according to the current legal regulations, senior and mid-level medical professionals must have a continuing professional development (CPD) certificate, which is a document proving the work permit. In each 5-year cycle, senior healthcare professionals must have 220 CPD credits, pharmacologists – 160 CPD credits, mid -level healthcare professionals – 140 CPD credits, pharmacists – 100 CPD credits. There was no certification institute in Nagorno-Karabakh, and there was no requirement for the medical professionals from Nagorno-Karabakh to have a CPD certificate. Conditioned by that circumstance, the latter currently do not have a CPD certificate.
This was stated by the RA First Deputy Minister of Health Lena Nanushyan who presented the issue in the first reading at the sitting of the NA Standing Committee on Health Care for debate on November 9.
According to her, with the draft law on Making Addendum to the Law on Medical Aid and Service to the Population authored by the Government, it is proposed not to extend the requirement to have a CPD certificate to mid-level and senior medical professionals who were forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh after September 19, 2023, until January 1, 2025.
According to Lena Nanushyan, as a result of adapting the draft, it is expected to give the senior and mid-level medical professionals forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh an opportunity to continue their professional activity until they receive a CPD certificate within the specified period.
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The deputy of the NA Armenia Faction Armenuhi Kyureghyan inquired how many medical professionals applied for certification and how much money is needed for training them.
In response, Lena Nanushyan mentioned: “As of now, we send our medical professionals to free trainings. More than 600 medical professionals forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh have already been sent to educational institutions for free training.”
According to the key rapporteur, the Ministry has 1200 places and they can send another 600 medical professionals by the end of the year.
It was noted that more than 90 certificates have already been provided to medical professionals forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh.
Lena Nanushyan also informed that in case of employment in regional medical institutions, the latter will receive additional financial support.
The Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Health Care Narek Zeynalyan stated that it is an extremely important draft aimed at legislatively taking care of the labor needs of our compatriots.
The Committee Chair presented a number of proposals, including extending the validity period of the law, which were accepted.
It should be noted that the law will apply to the relationships that arose after September 19, 2023 and will be in effect until January 1, 2025.
The Committee members endorsed the legislative initiative. In the upcoming NA sitting, it will be debated within 24 hours.
National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia
