Reports on Environment and Urban Development for Alaverdy

GEO ALAVERDI: ENVIRONMENT AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

even have a lavatory and a washing bowl 3 . Since 2006, there is one properly repaired market place, which has a lavatory and satisfactory sanitary conditions. However, the prices of the products in that market are a little higher than the prices in the smaller retails around it; hence, the population prefers shopping in those retails. 5. Social services (health, education, culture and leisure) 5.1 Health The Alaverdi health protection system has been consisted of two outpatient medical treatment facilities, a hospital, a maternity hospital and an ambulance unit, which are uni fi ed into one medical center, after institutional restructuring. Besides the medical center, there are dentistry, a sanitary-epidemiological station and 3 drug stores working in the community. The lack of modern medical equipment in the treatment center is a serious problem for performing in normal medical environment. The residents of the community pass full medical treatment and analysis in Vanadzor or Yerevan, mainly, which are sometimes not affordable for the socially vulnerable population. The health system is fi nanced through the State Budget. The number of physicians is 110; with 227 patients per a physician. The municipality for solution of health related issues, in particular, earmarks 30% of the environmental fees paid to the community budget by providing tours to health facilities for detected af fl icted persons, and by providing with food rich with vitamins to patients with tuberculosis and kindergarten visiting children. Taking into account the distance of the residential area from the hospital or a treatment facility, there was a medical support unit constructed by Akner community. 5.2 Education The educational system of the community includes the primary pre-school, general secondary, vocational and higher educational systems. There are nine secondary and one primary schools in the city, with 1917 students and 220 tutors. The number of the students in the last several years has signi fi cantly decreased, because of emigration. Hence, the number of students per a tutor is 11-12. There are sixkindergartens in the city, whichhave 2-daynurseries and12 children’s groups. There are 420 children visiting kindergartens that have 78 employees, 38 of which are pedagogues. There is also a private college gymnasium working in 3 Larisa Paremusyan, “The stores are fi ned, but the situaion is not improved”, electronic newspaper (168 hours), 19.01.2007, www.168.am/am/articles/8894

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CHAPTER 2. SOCIO – ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL CONTEXT

Environmental Knowledge for Change