YEREVAN, OCTOBER 5, ARMENPRESS. The process of Armenia’s joining the Emergency Medical Team (EMT) of the World Health Organization (WHO) has started in the beginning of 2022, the final registration will take place in about a year, depending on the ongoing processes in the WHO, First Deputy Minister of Healthcare Lena Nanushyan said, adding that Armenia had such informal teams both during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 War.

She said that each year the WHO is implementing global forums for Emergency Medical Teams, which this year is being held in Armenia. “Based on the developments of the past years we saw that the healthcare system is fully ready to resist all those problems, but only when we create these separate groups, meet the WHO criteria. Nevertheless, being assessed by them, we can be registered as an international and certified group. The group will later serve not only for resisting different disasters within our country, but also reaching other countries for help in emergency situations. This is a sign of solidarity where Armenia also wants to have its contribution at a global level”, the deputy minister said.

She said that during the pandemic several such groups visited Armenia to help and share their knowledge and experience with their Armenian colleagues. “And after seeing their work, we decided that we should also have a similar team which has been formed on the basis of the St. Gregory the Illuminator medical center”, she said.