The Prime Minister explained the purpose of reforms in nursing homes and boarding houses

Children, the elderly, and people with disabilities will receive state certificates that will help them determine which organization they trust their lives and health. The decision was made yesterday at a regular session of the Armenian government, approving the “order to provide state-of-the-art care services to children, the elderly and people with disabilities through a state certificate.” The new order will come into force on January 1^st, 2020.

During the discussion of the issue, RA Prime Minister Pashinyan noted that this initiative of the government has already been criticized. “The government should be able to present its reforms not only in official but also in everyday language,” the prime minister said, referring to the government’s decision.

“Recently, there has been a stir as if we are closing a nursing home or there is a noise at a boarding school. We need to clearly state what we are doing. We tend to outsource services to private or charitable organizations. That is to say, the same funding that the government announces a competition, selects an organization that will provide services to the elderly.

This decision gives the beneficiary the opportunity to choose whether he wants to use the service of this organization or the service of another organization. The beneficiary’s own funding will go to that other organization.

As a result, the beneficiaries will not only be in the “inmate” status of this or that organization, but will also be able to express the state’s attitude towards this or that organization. This is done for the beneficiaries themselves, in order to improve the quality of their services, ”Nikol Pashinyan said.

The Prime Minister also noted that during his visit to Gyumri he met with the staff and beneficiaries of the Gyumri nursing home who voiced their protest against this order to explain their state’s approach.

“And even at first glance it could be understood that they are not being properly served because the system is outdated. There has to be a subject who has the ability to evaluate the quality of their services, whether satisfied or dissatisfied. Now they can say they are satisfied or unhappy, but fear is in their hearts, ”he said.

Minister of Labor and Social Affairs Zaruhi Batoyan noted that by 2020, 3300 children will be provided day care in 10 provinces of Armenia. “This will give the child the opportunity not to sleep at the boarding school but to live with his family, to attend his community school. We provide support to the family – improving living conditions, creating job opportunities, and only as a result can the child be returned to the family, “the minister said.

Zaruhi Batoyan also informed that during the meeting with the employees of the nursing home, the deputy minister had previously informed that a condition would be set for the selected organization to give priority to the current employees when selecting staff.

“We will continue reforms for the sake of our grandparents, and those who pursue personal interest in this matter will receive appropriate treatment in the manner prescribed by law,” the minister wrote.

It should be mentioned that the reason for the hunger strike was the word of the RA government’s draft decision on liquidation of the Gyumri nursing home state non-profit organization developed by the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs and assign day-care services provision for elderly to a non-state organization which will be selected by competition.