Ambulance workers demand improvement of working conditions, wage increase in Armenia
A total of 375 employees of the Armenian ambulance have addressed a letter to the prime minister, minister of health and Yerevan mayor to call attention to the issues persisting in the sphere.
In the letter posted on Facebook by a former employee of the service, Vahram Bulghadaryan, who quitted his job a month ago due to the heavy workload, the workers demand improvement of working conditions, an increase in salaries and number of ambulance crews to ease the heavy workload, provision of medical uniforms and health insurance, as well as access to renovated rest rooms, including a bathroom and a kitchen.
Speaking to Panorama.am, Director of Armenian Ambulance CSTO Taguhi Stepanyan said the issues voiced in the letter were raised still a month ago.
“The deputy mayor, a representative of the Health Ministry and I have met with employees to discuss the existing issues which are being resolved step by step,” the director says.
She was surprised by the publication of the letter now when efforts are being taken to address all the concerns voiced by the employees.
“It is not that we don’t agrees with all the issues, but naturally we cannot handle them in a day,” she stressed.
The director says the issue of health insurance will be resolve in the upcoming month, while easing the heavy workload of the ambulance employees requires a change in people’s mindset.
“But each person who starts work in this system has some idea of what a hard job it is, and a heavy workload is also possible,” she added.