7-Member Lori Family Have No Money for Medical Treatment

Virtually all members of the Grigoryans’ family in Armenia’s Lori province suffer from various health problems; none of them, however, receive any kind of benefits from the state. The only stable source of income of the 7-member family is the monthly 19-thousand dram pension of their uncle, 53-year-old Grigor Grigoryan. Loritv.am has published a video, in which the family talk about their problems.

“Sometimes my kids go hungry for days,” the mother, Mrs Valya, says. Her daughter, 18-year-old Natalya, suffers from toxic nodular goiter, because of which she frequently loses her consciousness. At the time of filming, the young girl also fainted due to hunger.

23-year-old Andranik has been deemed unfit for service in the Armenian Armed Forces due to a number of health issues. 5-year-old Noyemi has eye problems and needs corrective glasses; the family, however, have no money to take the child to a doctor.

7-year-old Anzhela died 2 years ago: “Her lungs and her left kidney were in terrible condition. But the medical commission did not even recognize her disability,” the mother says.

The father of the family works in a lemonade production plant and receives 1500 drams a day, the job is unstable because he also suffers from health issues.

The family have been deprived of social benefits since March; officials insist they are not eligible for any. The Grigoryans have not and do not intend to apply to state authorities for help. “We don’t expect them to help us,” they say.