Following the forced displacement of Artsakh Armenians from their ancestral lands, AGBU has extended its humanitarian relief program to support the health and wellbeing of uprooted individuals and families. One important initiative involves the AGBU Claudia Nazarian Polyclinic–originally established in 2017 to provide medical support to Syrian Armenian refugees delivered by Syrian Armenian health professionals. In that same spirit, the polyclinic has recruited key specialists who are from Artsakh themselves. This goes a long way to establish trust and mutual understanding between patient and provider. The facility has also been enhanced and refurbished, along with extended hours of operation.
In January 2024, the polyclinic opened its doors to provide free-of-charge services in cardiology, ENT, ophthalmology, gynecology, and pediatrics, as well as mental health services for children and adults. In general, the facility can serve over 8,000 people annually. As of mid-July of this year, out of the 2,870 patient visits 1,200 were Artsakh Armenians.
Executive Director of AGBU Armenia Marina Mkhitaryan stated, “We aimed to provide a safe space for physical and psychological healing for the Artsakh people. That starts with providers who speak the Artsakh dialect and are no strangers to the tragedy and loss that marked the past three years of intense destabilization in Artsakh. Fostering this sense of community in Armenia, along with ensuring easy access to high-quality care, can make all the difference to a family’s road to recovery.”
Children seeking psychological assistance were treated with therapies from the very first days of the polyclinic’s opening. According to Lilit Shahramanyan, Patient Liaison Officer of the AGBU Claudia Nazarian Polyclinic, also a displaced individual from Artsakh, many have already shown significant improvements and even discontinued therapy. In addition to helping children overcome war traumas, sessions are available to guide parents in supporting their children. To facilitate this process, a psychologist and a nurse from Artsakh were hired to aid communication and build trust between patients and therapists.
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The most common adult cases were related to ophthalmology, followed by cardiology. “Patients primarily seek treatment for eye issues, blood pressure, and diabetes, in addition to free medication for the latter two. Mental health services are the third most sought after. In June alone, there were 47 patients seeking counseling services, 35 of whom were children,” noted Lilit Shahramanyan.
Lilit Shahramanyan mentions that some patients were diagnosed with specific cardiological diseases before the 2020 Artsakh War and 2023 forced displacement, while others began experiencing symptoms only after the displacement. “We often see patients seeking cardiological or gastroenterological assistance and winding up with mental health sessions instead. This is due to the immense stress Artsakh Armenians have endured, particularly over the past three years.”
In order for the polyclinic to provide better and more comprehensive services to the patients, AGBU is planning to acquire essential new equipment to fill in the gaps over time, which would also spare patients the time and energy of visiting other medical institutions for examinations for diagnostic testing and other treatments.
