Dr. Arayik Narinyan, 36, has been on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Armenia’s impoverished Tavush Province for the past two weeks. As Berd Medical Center’s primary ENT he has been tasked with testing people for the virus. “I’m not afraid; it’s my professional duty. Besides, people from the border towns are not afraid of anything,” he said with a laugh.
Dr. Narinyan was supported by BCPP from 2015 to 2017, when the organization provide financial support for him to complete his medical residency at Saint Astvatsamayr Medical Center in Yerevan. FAR has helped four young doctors from the impoverished Berd Region to get their postgraduate degrees in Yerevan before returning to Berd to serve their home communities.
Since the start of the pandemic, Dr. Narinyan has been working constantly. For the past two weeks, he has not had a day off. Fortunately, he and other doctors at the hospital benefit from personal protective equipment donated by FAR, which has assisted more than 500 healthcare workers throughout the country.
Doctors like Arayik Narinyan should be greatly admired for their commitment and dedication, said FAR’s Healthcare Programs Director Dr. Hambardzum Simonyan. “The lack of proper healthcare personnel has always been more acute in the remote, border regions of Armenia. Berd is no exception. Through BCPP’s healthcare component, we aim to support the advancement of young medical students in their specialization, to increase their knowledge and apply their skills in their home region. When different challenges arise, skilled medical personnel are absolutely necessary to save lives, which is why the improvement of capacity is our primary goal.”
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