Once I fell down and have been unable to walk again ever since - says elderly woman (video)
Lida Mejlumyan has been lying sick in bed for two years now. She gets out of bed only in exceptional cases. Eight years ago, the 73-year-old woman acquired a physical disability following an acute ischaemic stroke. “I did not have a walker and had to move around with a stick. Once I fell down in the corridor and have been unable to walk again ever since,” she says. “The woman had to ask her neighbour for a walker. A doctor came and examined me. Then he told me to go and receive a walker for free. Soon, I began receiving calls, one after another, informing me that I did not have a contract,” she continues. Lida Mejlumyan finally got a walker a few days ago. Karen Babakhanyan, Head of the Procurement Department of the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, says they want to make the procurement process more competitive and problems arise in the result. A competition is announced every December for prosthetic devices and supplies. “As usual, we again announced a competition in December 2016 but one of the participants disputed it and the procedure was suspended for 2 months,” he said. For many years, two companies have been supplying prosthetic supplies. This, he says, created unfair conditions for competition. “They divided everything between them, did not have any savings and spent all money,” says the official. It is still unknown how many people will receive prosthetic services and devices but 27 wheelchairs and 50 walkers were provided after the resumption of the process.
