YEREVAN, OCTOBER 25, NOYAN TAPAN. 320 family doctors and 440 family nurses work at present in offices of family medicine of Armenia, rural out-patient's clinics and urban polyclinics. Development of family medicine is one of important components of the four-year credit program of 25.5 mln U.S. dollars on modernization of the health care system. 7.1 mln U.S. dollars were allocated for it according to the agreement signed between the RA Government and the World Bank in 2004. As Samvel Hovhannisian, the Chairman of the Armenian Association of Family Doctors informed the Noyan Tapan correspondent, the program envisages to train till 2009 other 930 doctors and nurses of same number, correspondingly, according to 12-month and 6-month education programs. In his words, family medicine chairs were created still in 1998 at the Yerevan Mkhitar Heratsi State Medical University, National Health Care Institute and Medical Fulcrum College. It was also mentioned that work conditions of family doctors will be improved by the program: 14 rural out-patient's clinics will be restored and 5 ones will be built, and medical equipment and accessories will be given to 150 out-patient's clinics.

---