Armenian prison gets new wards for TB patients

Public Television of Armenia, Yerevan
29 Sep 04

[Presenter] As part of court and legal reforms, the Armenian
Justice Ministry is cooperating with international and public
organizations. A prison hospital has recently received a large batch
of medical equipment. Today four special wards were commissioned at
the Nubarashen prison for intensive treatment of TB patients. The
prison doctors said that the wards, fitted with new equipment, meet
European standards fully. The upgrading of the wards are viewed here
as an outcome of cooperation between the Justice Ministry and the
International Committee of the Red Gross [ICRC].

[Correspondent, over video of justice minister and wards] Today
the Nubarashen prison is ready to meet [Justice Minister] David
Arutyunyan. The minister inspected four new wards for TB patients. Six
main drugs are provided for the treatment of the disease here.

[Gevork Afrikyan, captioned as chief of hospital's TB department]
It takes a long time to be cured of TB, but in two months, germs of
the disease are killed.

[Correspondent] Positive changes have taken place at Armenian prisons
as an outcome of the court and legal reforms. Representatives of
international organizations also confirm this fact.

[Arutyunyan] As the justice minister, I am not satisfied with all
these. If I were happy about all these as the minister, I would
be wrong.

[A Red Cross representative] The ICRC and the Justice Ministry have
been cooperating for a long time in fight against tuberculosis
in Armenia. This is a problem not only in Armenian prisons, but
worldwide. The reform in Nubarashen is one of the numerous activities
being carried out in Armenia. By these reforms, we shall organize
effective fight against TB.

[Correspondent] The justice minister believes that it will take 10
years to carry out court and legal reforms in the country.