For Immediate Release
October 11, 2010

HAYASTAN ALL-ARMENIAN FUND COMPLETES RECONSTRUCTION OF NOYEMBERYAN HOSPITAL

NEW YORK, New York — Following a year of large-scale renovation work, the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund has completed the reconstruction of the Noyemberyan Hospital, the only major healthcare center in Armenia’s Tavush Region. The project was co-sponsored by the Fund’s German, Swiss, Lebanese, and Australian affiliates as well as Saad Hariri, prime minister of Lebanon.

Worth close $880,000, the initiative is testament to the effectiveness of the Fund’s longstanding practice of synergistic financing, whereby two or more supporters join forces to help implement a given project. The reconstruction of the Noyemberyan hospital is the second such undertaking in the Tavush Region.

Co-sponsor contributions to the project comprised money raised by the German and Swiss affiliates during the 2009 Pan-European Phoneathon, the entirety of proceeds from the Lebanese affiliate’s 2008 Radiothon, and a portion of proceeds from the Australian affiliate’s 2008 Gala Dinner.

On October 10, the Noyemberyan Hospital celebrated the opening of its renovated premises as it hosted a site visit by a large number of dignitaries, benefactors, and affiliate delegates. Officials in attendance included Armen Gevorgyan, deputy prime minister of Armenia; Harutyun Kushkyan, minister of health; Ara Vardanyan, executive director of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund; and Armen Ghularyan, governor of the Tavush Region.

Visiting supporters and delegates included Gilbert Momdjian, chairman of the Fund’s German affiliate; Avedis Kizirian, chairman of the Swiss affiliate; Lorig Sabounjian, representative of the Lebanese affiliate; Ara Sisserian, representative of Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri; Murat Akyuz, representative of the Armenian Merchants’ Union of Germany; and several benefactors from Germany including Mr. and Mrs. Martin Weidemann, Zolak Ter Harutunian, and Amini Kamin. Also present were numerous local supporters and the entire staff of the Noyemberyan Hospital.

As he addressed the attendees, Deputy Prime Minister Armen Gevorgyan conveyed his heartfelt congratulations to the hospital staff and the residents of Tavush, and expressed gratitude to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. “I find it extremely gratifying that the benefactors of the Fund are focused particularly on helping improve Armenia’s healthcare sector,” he said. “I am certain that, with the reconstruction of the Noyemberyan Hospital, the medical staff will no longer have to grapple with a host of technical and logistical difficulties.” The deputy prime minister added that another healthcare facility, a cardiology center being built by the Fund in the Syunik Region, will open soon.

	Noyemberyan hospital underwent a complete redesign of the facility in accordance with modern healthcare standards

The Noyemberyan Hospital is of vital importance to the Tavush Region, as it serves the more than 30,000 residents of Noyemberyan City and surrounding villages. The hospital, which has 30 patient rooms and 60 beds, houses a general clinic with a physiotherapy wing, an emergency room, an intensive-care unit, departments of surgery, obstetrics, gynecology, and infectious diseases, as well as a dental clinic. In the near future, the facility will be able to further improve its services thanks to state-of-the art medical equipment and furniture donated by the Union of Armenian Physicians and Healthcare Professionals of Germany.

In his speech during the opening, Health Minister Harutyun Kushkyan said, “I have the highest regard for the work of the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund. A standard of excellence and great attention to detail are evident throughout the renovations realized at the Noyemberyan Hospital. The premises, including the emergency room, surgery department, and maternity ward, have been thoroughly modernized. This facility is the only healthcare center of its kind in Tavush, and now, with its reconstruction concluded, it is poised to provide an unprecedented level of service.”

The Noyemberyan Hospital was established some 80 years ago. Today’s three-story structure, built in 1961, had not undergone any major renovations prior to the Hayastan All-Armenian Fund project. The initiative included a complete redesign of the facility in accordance with modern healthcare standards, the replacement of the roof, floors, windows, and doors, as well as installation of upgraded communications systems.

In addition, all patient rooms now feature bathrooms with hot and cold water, heating for the hospital has been secured with the installation of a boiler room, and an elevator has been built. The lack of an elevator long stood out as a grave issue for the facility, causing particularly serious difficulties with regard to the transportation of patients to and from the surgery department, located on the third floor. Additionally, the project has resulted in completely new landscaping.

In his remarks during the opening, Gilbert Momdjian, chairman of the Fund’s German affiliate, recounted the evolution of the hospital-reconstruction project. “When I visited the facility for the first time, it was in a dreadful state,” he said. “On my return to Germany, my colleagues and I resolved to raise funds for a complete renovation of the hospital. Today I can’t tell you how happy we all are that our joint efforts finally paid off.”

“I am extremely impressed by the new look and feel of the facility,” said Avedis Kizirian, chairman of the Fund’s Swiss affiliate. “We, the diaspora, specifically the Armenian communities of Germany, Switzerland, Lebanon, and Australia, were able to implement this beautiful project through our close collaboration. I hope this hospital will long serve our compatriots and continue to facilitate numerous births. May our lambs born here grow up to become lions and defend our borders.”

In her address to the attendees, Lorig Sabounjian, representative of the Fund’s Lebanese affiliate, recalled how her community was galvanized to help make the hospital-reconstruction project possible. “Fortunately the results of the 2008 Radiothon far exceeded our expectations,” she said. “That’s when we decided to join the affiliates of Germany, Switzerland, and Australia in carrying out this indispensable project.”

According to Dr. Ashot Gyozalyan, chief physician at the Noyemberyan Hospital, the facility, which has a staff of 113, serves 1,400 patients and delivers close to 400 babies annually. Dr. Gyozalyan expressed confidence that the vastly improved conditions of the hospital will lead to a marked rise in the number of births at the hospital.

Also delivering remarks at the opening was the Fund’s Ara Vardanyan, who stated: “It is such a joy to see that our benefactors attach great importance to the existence of top-notch healthcare centers in Armenia’s border communities. I wish you all glowing health.” Vardanyan informed the attendees that medical equipment and furniture donated by the Union of Armenian Physicians and Healthcare Professionals of Germany will reach the Noyemberyan Hospital within the next two months. The bulk of the donated material, comprising six sea containers, is already on its way, while the remainder of the hospital’s furniture and equipment needs will be fulfilled by Armenia’s Ministry of Health, Vardanyan concluded.

The city of Noyemberyan, founded in 898, is situated a few kilometers from the Azerbaijani border. With a population of about 5,000, Noyemberyan offers a mix of urban and rural lifestyles. While the city and nearby villages form an agricultural zone, with core industries including farming, wine-making, and bee-keeping, in recent years the business and service sectors have grown to become significant factors in the area’s economic development. Today, Noyemberyan City functions as the main marketplace for the area’s agricultural output. Among the city’s commercial establishments are those specializing in food-processing, wood-cultivation, and stone-making.

ABOUT ARMENIA FUND USA: founded in 1992, was one of the first of Hayastan All-Armenian Fund’s 20 international affiliates and serves constituents in all states east of the Mississippi. As a non-profit, non-governmental, nonsectarian organization, the Fund represents all Armenian constituents, supporting strategic infrastructure projects in Armenia and Karabakh. The Fund has adopted a policy to go “Beyond Bricks and Mortar” to provide sustainability for projects it sponsors.

To learn more about Armenia Fund USA, please visit our website at
www.ArmeniaFundUSA.org or call us at 212-689-5307.