Azerbaijan style / Music by Arif Sami Toker / Transcribed by Zeynioglu
WHY ARE AZERBAIJANIS LEAVING THE COUNTRY FOR MEDICAL TREATMENT
Media Center hold a public discussion of the article called National Diagostics Center and poeple leaving for Iran for treatment in the frame of the project called Media as a 4th branch of the government. The partners in the project are Media Center, Insitute for Reporters' Freedom and Safety, and New Generation Journalists' Union.
The article has been written by Azadlig Radio employee Seadat Akifgizi, and it is about the health situation in Azerbaijan. Speaking about her research, the journalist Akifgizi said that despite the number of increasing health care centers, and provision of those centers with new medical equipments, Azerbaijani citizens still turning to foreign countries for treatment. In the regions, a number of health care centers, each of which priced at 100 million AZN, very few people are going there for treatment. It was also noted that there is a lack of professional doctors at health care centers as well as the treatment price is too high.
During the research, the people leaving for Iran for treatment said that the reason why they go to Iran is that the doctors in Iran are professional and treatment price is low. They compained that doctors in Azerbaijan give wrong diagnosis. The article says that in order to increase the level of healthcare, well-known persons of the country should go to local health care centers for treatment. This is deemed as a guarantee for reliability of health care. It was also mentioned that there is necessity for medical insurance for everyone, salaries of the people working in health care centers must be increased.
During discussions, participants tried to clarify causes of problems regarding health care in Azerbaijan. They said that in order to solve those problems, NGO sector must focus on these issues.
Seadat (sinchrone): I hope that after journalists publicize issues regarding health care situation in Azerbaijan, civils ociety will pay more attention to this field. When saying civil society, i mean involvement of NGOs in this issues. After this research, I would like NGOs to use results of journalists' researhes as a fact, discuss these issues widely, and raise these issues at state institutions.