The participant of Karabakh war, one of the commanders of Aramo brigade Arayik Melkumyan got a concussion as a result of the war. After the war he has insomnia, headache and war scenes rolling in his mind, which he relieves with the help of smoking. Now he feels bad even from smoking, since now his two daughters buy tobacco for him.

In the past, he was buying tobacco with his pension for disability of 40.000 AMD (≈106 USD), but the RA Agency of Medical-Social Expertise didn’t recognize the disability of the participant of Karabakh war this year, stating “you should have seen the doctor who would treat you, why didn’t you do it?” He has not been receiving pension since November of 2011.

Melkumyan went to war in 1989 voluntarily leaving his work and his family. In 1992 he became a member of Aramo brigade. After the brigade’s commander was injured, he became the commander. In 1992, during the fight for Ghochagh village (region Qashatakh; former Lachin region) Melkumyan got a missile wound on his left leg, brain concussion, wounds on the right and left parts of his neck after a projectile explosion. After convalescing he returned to war.

According to the 02.03.06 number 276-N decision of the RA government the disability category is given, when there is a constant disorder of functions of the organism resulted by illness, injury or mutilation, which results in limitation of certain type or certain degree of life activities, social dissatisfaction and need for social care.

According to article 62 of the RA Law on "Social Care for People with Disabilities", the reason for disability can be the illness, mutilation or wound caused during the defence of RA.

Even though Arayik Melkumyan could receive category of disability long ago, only in 2008 he applied to state bodies and received 3rd category of disability. The reason for getting the category of disability was the concussion received during the war.

Every year the neurologist Karine Harutyunyan examines him, and this year as well she mentioned in the medical statement that Melkumyan’s illness has stable residual effects, however, this year the Committee on Social-Medical Expertise didn’t take that fact into account and didn’t recognize his disability.

“Therefore it turns out that either I was cured in one year, or the doctors were wrong with their diagnosis for three years? They also tell me to go and treat myself, as if they sent me to the doctor, and I refused”, says the war participant.

Melkumyan went to his district polyclinics for several times. He was sent to the Central Polyclinics of Ministry of Defense, which he visited every year for seeing the ophthalmologist and neurologist. No doctor told him to get treatment, only once some medicine was prescribed at the local polyclinics, after which Melkumyan got poisoned and was taken to hospital, since he had alergy from medicines.

The neurologist of central polyclinics of Ministry of Defense K. Harutyunyan said that they do not give medicine. There are pills, which are not allergic and the local polyclinics were obliged to give them, but they didn't.

“They were first of all to give him “Tserebrolizin”, “Piratsetam”, “Meksidol” drops, sedative neuroletics, “Diazepam”, “Persen””, says Karine Harutyunyan.

“Tserebrolizin” and “Meksidol” are expensive medicines. For example 5 ampoule of “Tserebrolizin” cost 20.000 AMD (≈53USD), which according to the doctor, patients like Melkumyan, should take at least twice a year.

Arayik Melqumyan is one of those 1500 disabled people, who didn’t receive category of disability. The head of RA Social-Medical Expertise Agency Misha Vanyan informed that annually 73 thousand applications are received for getting category of disability. These include also the applications of those who received this category in the previous year. This year 1500 applicants out of 16.000 of the first round applicants didn’t receive the category of disability. In the past year another 1500 applicants didn’t receive this category, and 4500 people received lower categories.

“The meaning of appointing categories with deadlines is that there is expectation, that until next expertise the patient will be treated. If according to standards there are no signs of illness, the category may change”, explains M. Vanyan.

He also mentioned that they do not recognize disability according to documents. It is recognized if their own experts reveal that the illness resulted in either limitation of movement, or limitation of supervising own behavior.

“The Government gave us concrete standards: concussion brings to mental disorder, which results in disability, therefore that person should have received treatment at psychiatric hospital”, says Vanyan.

To the question what is envisioned when the disabled person gets no treatment and no direction is given for getting treatment at psychiatric hospital, Vanyan mentioned that they are not responsible for the dishonest doctors.

According to the decision of establishing the procedures for implementing Medical-Social Expertise, for defending own rights the person has the right to appeal the decision of the expertise, the actions of the state body competent in Social-Medical Expertise or the inaction of these bodies by administrative or judicial procedures.

These days Melkumyan was invited to the RA Ministry of Defense and a new expertise can be held, the result of which will make it clear whether he will apply to court or not.

“I do not ask for handouts, let them tell me that I am healthy and that I can get no category, even though I know very well, that my state is getting worse, sometimes I even do not remember people, whom I knew for many years”, says Melkumyan.

In the situation of indifference of the state towards a soldier who won a war sometimes gives place for despair. Arayik Melkumyan recently started to think about leaving Armenia.

Karine Ionessyan

Source: www.hra.am