UNFPA represents the heroic doctors of the Republican Maternity Hospital

The COVID-19 department of the Republican Institute of Reproductive Health, Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology admitted the first pregnant woman on March 28 on suspicion of infection. Since that day, the department has served more than 200 pregnant women from all over Armenia. Employees say the hardest part was the first month, when a limited number of staff had to work day and night.

Vruyr Galstyan, who is the deputy director of the institute for medical treatment, is very restrained and modest when telling about their work during the epidemic. He only says that in the beginning there were organizational difficulties, because the pandemic “visited” unexpectedly. However, after a short time, the work of the department created from scratch got back on track, and now the work is going smoothly. “It is difficult to operate only in protective clothing,” smiles modestly the doctor who has been working at the institute for 23 years.

Out of more than 200 serviced patients, 174 were confirmed to have the infection. All the treatment was carried out at the institute, as it is the only center of the republic, on which the service of pregnant women with COVID-19 was put. Only a few of the cases were complicated, no deaths were registered due to the infection.

Midwife Flora Gharibyan has invested her 38 years of experience and knowledge in the service of pregnant women with COVID-19 from the very first day of the department. To our question, how many births did she have during this process, she answers by adding together the indicators in separate months, which she remembers by heart. “56-57 births,” says Mrs. Flora proudly, telling that in the beginning, for about 3 months, when the caution was very high, she did everything necessary, performing not only the duties of a midwife, but also a nurse. Now everything is in order, we are moving forward positively, says the experienced midwife.

Aghasi Sharbatyan, the head of the department, obstetrician-gynecologist, says that now the initial precautions are being followed and everyone is busy. When asked to point out the greatest difficulty they have faced during this time, remember the psychological stress of the early months, when much less was known about the infection and pregnant women and their relatives were overwhelmed. During this time, the medical staff had to not only overcome their own fears and anxieties, but also act as a psychologist, encouraging patients who were often on the verge of losing their balance. 36-year-old doctor Sharbatyan also says that now the condition, including psychological, has significantly eased.

In the department we also met a young obstetrician-gynecologist Alyosha Toroyan, who has been working at this institute for 7 years and was actively involved in the service of pregnant women during the pandemic. “Of course, it was a very serious experience to work in such a tense situation. “Then, when we learned more about the disease, the tension eased,” the doctor smiles.

At the time of our visit to the COVID-19 department of the Republican Institute, everything was calm and peaceful. Pregnant women were walking in the corridors, and the staff on duty hurriedly answered our questions and with difficulty gave in to our request to take a photo of them, preparing in their minds for the next birth, which was expected in a few hours.

Throughout the pandemic, the UN Population Fund has provided modest support to the institute, to the pregnant women housed there, and to our heroes of the COVID department, our glorious superheroes.

Full text in Armenian