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VivaCell-MTS, a subsidiary of “Mobile TeleSystems” OJSC, is glad to inform that the neonatal care project together with BirthLink NGO continues. This time VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian visited the Austrian Children’s hospital in Gyumri. The hospital was provided with an intensive care incubator, a CPAP system and other technical equipment, which will allow the medical staff to care for sick newborns with appropriate up to date and safe equipment.

All maternity hospitals responsible for pregnancy and deliveries need essential equipment for saving newborn lives, when unexpected complications occur in pregnancy or the woman delivers prematurely. This equipment helps to maintain the baby’s temperature and stabilise or sustain the baby until transfer can be undertaken to a regional centre or to Yerevan. Some babies with potentially life-threatening problems, who receive immediate and appropriate care after delivery, may need no further intervention. This equipment can be the difference between life and death.

“According to the statistics infant mortality rate in Armenia exceeds the rate in countries like UK and the USA for four times. As a Corporate responsible company, who has always kept the development of all vital spheres of Armenia in the center of its attention, VivaCell-MTS could not stay indifferent towards such bothering statistics,” said VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian. “We could not just watch, so we started cooperation with BirthLink NGO. And, once again, it proved, that belief and consistent approach to the problem give positive result. Today specialists’ state that good dynamics can already be seen - newborn deaths have considerably decreased due to the equipment and professional training courses of the medical staff implemented in the frames of this project. Soon we will have the official figures and will be able to present more exact statistics,” added Mr. Yirikian.

The Shirak region has approximately 40000 deliveries a year, taking place in seven maternity facilities in the region. The Austrian Children’s hospital in Gyumri receives babies from throughout the region and it is more appropriate to move these babies to this department than transfer the long journey to Yerevan. In this regard it was important to supply the hospital with all the necessary equipment which will allow providing the newborns specialized care and appropriate ongoing management more promptly.

Since 2010 VivaCell-MTS and BirthLink, continuing their joint project, have been supporting hospitals in Shirak. In 2010 the Austrian Children’s hospital was supported with an intensive care incubator, together with CPAP, a non-invasive respiratory support system, monitor, heated mattress and technical equipment for monitoring jaundice in babies.

The introduction of CPAP in Armenia in 2009 is having significant impact to the outcomes for premature babies. This form of treatment for premature babies has been used widely in Europe and the US for the last fifteen years, and now, thanks to this initiative, babies in Armenia are receiving this treatment.