As of July 21, a five member medical team from Los Angeles has performed 65 operations and provided 400 consultations at Armenia’s Gyumri Medical Center.

All these services have been provided on a charitable basis.

When I arrived at the center, it was way past midnight when the last surgery of the day had ended. But there was little time for a quick rest. Preparations had to be made for the next round of surgeries.

I noticed Gevorg Mutafyan, a general surgeon, in the hallway. He showed no outward sign of fatigue even though it was 1am and he was gearing up for his ninth surgery.

The five member team is comprised of physicians from the Glendale Adventist Medical Center and Glendale Memorial Hospital.

Along with Dr. Mutafyan, there are Simon Keushkerian (General and Vascular Surgery), Tsovinar Tekkelian (Internal Medicine), Leo Tumanian (Urology), and Emil Safi (Anesthesiology).

Working with the team, and gaining important medical experience, are young doctors from Yerevan.

Dr. Mutafyan, who was born in Gyumri, says the number of applicants has been overwhelming.

“Those patients who fall outside our field of specialty, we’ve sent to clinics in Yerevan. Most of the surgeries we’ve performed have been gall bladder and vascular related.”

The team is part of a project begun in 2013 by the Armenian-American Medical Mission that seeks to develop the fields of laparoscopic and general, vascular surgery, plus urology, in Gyumri, Armenia’s second largest city.

Gevorg Mutafyan	Armen Isahakyan

Armen Isahakyan, Director of the Gyumri Medical Center, relates that Dr. Mutafyan had visited the newly opened hospital during an earlier visit and offered his services for free, performing 60 operations during a ten day period.

“We then decided to make it a permanent program for residents of Gyumri who can ill afford to pay the 400,000 AMD (approximately US$1,000) for specialized vascular surgery, let alone a simple operation,” Mr. Isahakyan said.

While the Gyumri hospital, which opened its doors in 2012, is equipped with the latest in medical equipment, it lacks specialists.

Isahakyan notes that while the hospital has the latest German laparoscopic equipment, there isn’t one qualified physician out of a staff of eleven surgeons to use it.

Local physicians now working with the American team will also have the opportunity to go to the States for much needed training.

Anoushavan Safaryan	Dr. Tekkelian and husband Dr. Keushkerian

When Anoushavan Safaryan, a third year student at Yerevan State Medical University, heard about the program he rushed to sign on.

“When I found out that they needed volunteers to assist the doctors from the U.S., I applied. It’s a great opportunity to learn their techniques. Here in Armenia, we follow Russian medical practices. The equipment used in America is also different and often more effective,” Safaryan said.

The team from America was amazed at the lack of preventative care in general in Armenia. For example, in the States the removal of gallstones is considered a simple procedure. But here in Armenia, most patients wait until complications arise before seeing a physician.

Dr. Mutafyan conceded that the lack of preventative care in Armenia is mainly a result of the overall socio-economic situation. That’s to say many just can’t afford regular check-ups. There’s also a problem with adequate public health information, he noted.

Dr. Keushkerian agreed with his colleague, noting that in the U.S. people rush to see a doctor at the slightest sign of trouble.

“Surprising as it sounds, I’ve also seen a large number of obese people here in Armenia. The problem seems to have already been transferred over from the U.S., said Keushkerian.

He also gave high marks to the staff at the Gyumri hospital and noted that they worked long hours without complaining.

“Back in America, people are gone immediately after their shift ends,” he joked.

In addition to the five physicians, the Gyumri hospital will receive 17 containers of medical equipment and other supplies.

Dr. Mutafyan says changes will most likely be made next year to make the program run smoother. This will probably entail a larger physician staff that will be divided up to work on two week stints.

Right now, he confesses that it’s a bit overwhelming to start the day with 30-40 consultations and then to perform operations.

While the medical services are free, some patients make symbolic payments that go into the hospital’s coffers. The revenue is used to pay the local staff and to purchase medicine.

Dr. Mutafyan hopes to expand the program in the coming years to include stomach, large intestine and even cancer surgeries.

“We hope that such surgeries will become commonplace here. For this to happen, medical equipment must be constantly upgraded to the extent possible and physicians must receive the latest training,” Mutafyan said. “Gradually, this issue will be resolved through our efforts and with the assistance of the ministry of health.”