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At January 19 NA sitting, the draft law on Making Addendum and Amendment to the Law on Medical Aid and Service for Population authored by the NA deputies Narek Zeynalyan and Lusine Badalyan was debated in the first reading.

According to Narek Zeynalyan, human resource planning in the field of healthcare is one of the most important functions of the system, by which the authorised body ensures the stability and continuity of medical aid and service. The co-author of the initiative presented statistical data. The number of doctors in the Republic of Armenia is equivalent to the international average, that is 35 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants. In his opinion, there is a problem of unequal distribution of doctors in the regions and in Yerevan. According to 2020 data, there are 98 doctors per 10,000 inhabitants in Yerevan, and there is a significant shortage of number of doctors in the regions. There is a need for mid-level medical workers throughout the republic.

With the proposed amendment, if a person is admitted to a vocational or higher medical institution or undertakes postgraduate education within the framework of targeted programmes, and the state pays for their education and is obliged to provide work, then those persons will be obliged to work in a medical institution determined by the authorised body within the framework of law. Narek Zeynalyan has noted that the social guarantees are provided for the persons who will sign a contract with the medical institution mentioned by the authorised body.

In her co-report, the Deputy Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Health Care Lusine Badalyan has noted that the adoption of the draft stems from the need to prevent further deterioration of the current situation in the sphere of human resources in the field of healthcare, to develop a unified, predictable state policy for demand planning and training of senior and mid-level medical workers.

In her co-report, the RA First Minister of Health Lena Nanushyan has noted that there are quite vacant posts of medical workers in the regions. According to her, at the moment, the Government implements a number of programmes. The adoption of the proposed bill will expand the scope of the implemented programmes, regional medical care will become more accessible. The Deputy Minister has said, at this moment, in case of providing the same services, the issue of showing a differentiated approach to salaries is not observed, the problem of introducing a system for providing social guarantees is debated.