For the past few days Tigran Mkrtchyan, a doctor by profession, has been monitoring patients at a coronavirus isolation ward set up in one of the hotels located in Dilijan, a resort town in Armenia’s northern Tavush Province.

 "My morning starts at 8 o'clock. I put on my protective clothes, disinfect the door handles of isolated rooms, walk around the rooms, do thermometer checks, monitor the general condition of patients and talk to them for a while. This process takes 2-3 hours. In fact, my days here are topsy-turvy. I don't get a sense of when they start or end. I’m wearing this protective gear. Patients probably don’t even see my face, but we’ve come to know one another,” says Mkrtchyan.

At the outbreak of the coronavirus infection in Armenia, he contacted the Ministry of Health, asking that he undergo two days of training allowing him to participate in measures designed to halt the spread of the virus.   

He says that when he told family members about his decision, they were worried and said that it was risky.

 "But I’d already made the decision. I knew that there was a need and I could assist. Why shouldn’t I help if the need exists? I’ve worked far from home for two years. It’s not that difficult for me.”

Mkrtchyan specializes in dermatology and venereology. He served as a doctor in one of the military units of Artsakh. He laughs and says that he’s now involved in a different ballgame.

Those isolated in the hotel include a number of school aged teens. 

 Mkrtchyan says he breaks the ice with the boys by recounting his experiences in the army.

 "I feel like their big brother, because they are students․ Most of them have to serve soon and are very interested in army life. I understand that they can be lonely and bored. I try to visit them several times a day.”

When asked what he does in his free time, he laughs and says: "I try to follow the events of the world through the press. I have one meal a day and call home. They ask how things are going in general and with the patients. They’re interested in their health. Luckily, all are well. I have doctor friends who are also working along these lines. We’re in contact with one another.”

Mkrtchyan says that he’s ready to work elsewhere if needed.

"This is my profession. I studied to become a doctor. I’ll stay here as long as I’m needed. To all those doctors thinking about applying let me say from experience that it's worth it. If we can do something, we should. This is another test that will help us master our profession.”