AGARAK, APRIL 9, NOYAN TAPAN. The official opening ceremony of the Antenatal Care Center in Agarak Hospital, Agarak town, Syunik marz, took place on April 6. The center was established through the U.S. Embassy and USAID-funded Community Self-Help Fund (CSHF) program, which is implemented by Save the Children. According to the information submitted to Noyan Tapan, the community considered the creation of an antenatal care center as a priority for them. According to the statistic data of the Obstetric-gynecological department, the number of pregnancies with negative outcome had increased during the recent years in the mentioned area. Thus the antenatal care center of Agarak hospital was established, providing quality reproductive health services to more than 2100 women of the town and neighboring villages, and promoting the increase of number of pregnancies with positive outcome. The total cost of the project was USD 16,889 of which USD 14,889 was provided by the Community Self-Help Fund, while USD 2,000 (about 12% of the project cost) was contributed by Agarak community in form of labor and construction materials. According to the same source, the Agarak hospital was built in 1969 providing health services to the residents of Agarak town as well as the three neighboring villages. In 2000 the hospital was partially renovated and furnished through the funding of Mission East. There are a pediatric, surgical, therapeutic, infection, and obstetric-gynecological departments in the hospital.

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