BirthLink and VivaCell-MTS continue their partnership to improve neonatal care

VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian and Director of “BirthLink” NGO Kathy Mellor visited the maternity department in the central hospital in Masis.

This hospital has received equipment for immediate reanimation and warming of sick and small babies, monitoring and management of respiratory difficulties and the provision of intravenous fluids. The provided equipment will help support sick and low birth weight babies after delivery, with provision to stabilize babies before transfer to Yerevan or regional centers. By improving facilities, transfer of some babies can be avoided.

The project with VivaCell-MTS concentrates on the first day of life to ensure each maternity facility has doctors and nurses with the right knowledge and equipment to improve survival of the vulnerable newborn babies. In addition to the equipment being provided, education, training and support for the medical staff continues.

This is now the seventh year of cooperation between “BirthLink” and VivaCell-MTS, to improve the care of sick and premature babies in Armenia, and thereby reduce neonatal mortality. The project commenced in 2008, and till now has supported twelve neonatal departments in Yerevan and twenty-three departments in seven regions of Armenia with about AMD 535 million of support from VivaCell-MTS.

“A child is the guarantee of a full-fledged family, and the family is the guarantee of a sustainable society. And, in its turn, the sustainable society is the most important precondition for any country's development and progress. We want to struggle for the life of every child born in Armenia, we want those children to not only bring happiness to their parents, but also to become healthy and valuable individuals for our society, our country. VivaCell-MTS and “BirthLink” NGO have their contribution in this struggle, standing next to Armenian doctors, providing them with the necessary equipment, and, why not, also psychological support for making their tough, but invaluable work more effective”, commented VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.