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The Government is the author of the legislative initiative on introducing the medical workers’ licensing process. It is designed to introduce the medical workers’ individual licensing system in the Republic of Armenia, which in its turn will become as a basis for being engaged with independent professional activities by the latter.

Taking into consideration the circumstance that the introduction of the licensing system implies voluminous preparatory work, and the medical workers should have time to pass through that process, and it is designed by the initiative that the senior medical workers should receive individual license until January 1, 2027, and the clinical residents – until January 1, 2025. According to the RA Minister of Health Anahit Avanesyan, the introducing system will allow the newly graduated persons being engaged with the professional activities to pass the licensing process, afterwards – all the other medical workers.

The rapporteur reminded that for the medical workers the compulsory condition of the continuous professional development certification functions in our country from January 1, 2023. “That was the first step directed to the rise of the requirements towards the professional quality of the persons being engaged with the medical activities,” the Minister noted and added that the introduction of the licensing system will also be an important step for ensuring progress in the health sphere in the Republic of Armenia.

The package of the bill on Making Amendments and Addenda to the law on Medical Aid and Service of the Population and the enclosed bills was debated in the first reading at the sitting of the Standing Committee on Health Care on October 18.

Anahit Avanesyan answered the Committee members’ questions.

In response to the question of the Committee Chair Narek Zeynalyans, whether it is possible to suppose that after 2025 the specialists, who completed residency, will have the right to work without license, the rapporteur noted: “After 2025 all the newly graduates should receive license and afterwards will be engaged with work. And before 2027, we should pass the whole process of licensing for already functioning medical workers.”

The deputy Armenuhi Kyureghyan was interested in the fact if the individual license is necessary for carrying out individual activities or for working in any hospital. The Minister underlined that having individual is the permission to carry out professional activity, but that activity is possible to carry out at the stage received license for certain kind. Anahit Avanesyan said that the process will be carried out in accordance with transparent, representative new standards.

Narek Zeynalyan noted that the great part of the proposals presented by him was accepted. In the Committee Chair’s opinion, the beginning of the licensing process for the doctors and senior medical workers, who completed higher medical institution, and passed training processes and licensing examinations is a provision deteriorating the state of the latter. Individual license will be required for the senior medical workers carrying out professional activity to continue their activities, as in case of its absence, the working contracts signed with them will be solved. According to the Minister, the issues was discussed with the professionals. Anahit Avanesyan noted that to raise the quality of medical service the licensing should equally function: “I believe that our medical workers are ready to pass through this process and assure their capacities of being engaged with their professional activities.

The Minister expressed readiness to discuss their proposals from the first to the second reading.

The initiative was endorsed.