Armenia: Organ transplantation from deceased donors “will save lives”October 21, 2019 - 14:16 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Health Minister Arsen Torosyan has confirmed his intention to develop the practice of transplanting organs from deceased donors in Armenia. Torosyan told journalists on Monday, October 21 that the method will help save many lives, A1Plus reports. Kidney transplantation, the Minister said, is the most urgent procedure that needs to be regulated and improved. Such surgeries are currently offered in the country with organs from living donors and are partly paid for by the government. According to Torosyan, the practice of donating organs after death has stirred heated discussions among the public, with no constructive criticism though. The health chief said Armenians spend tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars on liver and kidney transplants abroad, whereas a part of those surgeries are performed with organs from deceased donors. Torosyan said organ donations are arranged only after a brain death has been declared. While admitting the delicacy of the matter, the Health Minister said the country needs to move forward nonetheless. The Minister said, however, that people are free to refuse to donate their organs and tissue when they die. He also stressed the role of the media and social ads in the process of educating the public that the practice is a humanitarian step to save someone else’s life. The first-ever liver transplant surgery was performed in Armenia in April. Torosyan had revealed in March that a living- and deceased-donor transplant program of kidneys, liver and heart would be launching in Armenia. Top stories David Vardanyan is the son of former Karabakh leader Ruben Vardanyan who who is currently imprisoned in Azerbaijan. The number of state universities will be reduced from 23 to 8 by 2030, Minister of Education, Science, Culture and Sport Zhanna Andreasyan has said. From September 21 to November 11, a total of 2,820 Russians registered at a place of residence in Armenia, the police has said. The situation on the contact line between Karabakh and Azerbaijan was relatively stable overnight, the Defense Army says. Partner news | Kazakhstan welcomes Yerevan, Baku’s agreement to meet in Almaty Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has welcomed the agreement of Baku and Yerevan to hold negotiations in Almaty. Armenia offers to temporarily host, preserve Gaza manuscripts The Armenian Foreign Minister has said Yerevan is ready to help preserve manuscripts from the conflict zone in Gaza. Aliyev says no need for mediators in Armenia-Azerbaijan process Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev believes that Baku and Yerevan do not mediators in the process of normalizing relations. U.S. believes peace is “possible” in South Caucasus The United States continues to believe that peace is possible in the South Caucasus, Vedant Patel said. |