by David Zenian
Dr. Ara Babloyan has the distinction of performing the first kidney transplant in Armenia. The operation took place in late 1991, with an assisting Swiss team of surgeons and nurses and a kidney flown in from St. Petersburg.
Still continuing his surgery practice two days a week, Dr. Babloyan is energetically reorganizing Armenia's health services. Six staff have been added to the Foreign Relations Department and another ten will be recruited as Ministry representatives at various hospitals in Armenia. Dr. Babloyan is determined to delegate authority, considerably departing from the usual Soviet style of management.
The priorities on his agenda are clear. First, comes the privatization of selected hospitals and clinics while maintaining a number of medical institutions offering free services, assuring the general population of adequate health care. "We can't charge in many cases because if people pay they will demand better services. We need time to get ready," Dr. Babloyan explained. The second priority is the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. He estimates that the USSR provided approximately 50,000,000 rubles (pre-inflation) worth of medicine to Armenia but adds, "It is difficult to put a price on it because so much of it was bartered."
He is quite proud of the doctors in Armenia. During the Abovian Military Depot explosion, as in every crisis, all doctors reported to work. "It has been a difficult year for us," he concluded. "The energy shortage and the lack of medicine has seriously undermined our ability to treat our patients."
