BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 18
By Eldar Janshvili – Trend:
Since the day when the first case of coronavirus infection was recorded in Azerbaijan, the State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance has been participating in the activities on combating the virus, the agency's press service told Trend.
According to the press service, in accordance with the decision of the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, the agency pays urgent allowances to medical and non-medical workers involved in battling the coronavirus infection. The agency also carries out procurement work to equip special-regime and modular-type hospitals designated for the treatment of coronavirus patients in the country with appropriate medicines, protective equipment, household goods and information technology equipment.
“In addition, the agency's employees organized work in special treatment hospitals designed to combat the pandemic in accordance with the COVID-19 treatment protocols in order to keep the situation under control. They ensured timely and efficient organization of supplies deliveries to medical institutions, regulation of access control, observance of social distance, as well as supported the organization of shifts in hospitals,” said the message.
Furthermore, in order to improve the quality of emergency and urgent medical care and patient control and to introduce new methods and strategies for treatment and medical examination, the agency along with relevant structures conducted online training for medical workers.
“The work of sample collection points and laboratories performing tests to identify COVID-19 cases has been automated by the agency. Thus, the automatic processing of a single database of coronavirus test results was ensured, and electronic notification of the Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, as well as other relevant state structures on the test results was established,” the message said.
Moreover, two new call centers rendering psychological support and support on polyclinic services were put into operation, the agency noted.
In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infection, experts from the ‘Acibadem’ group of hospitals and medical centers in Turkey were invited to the country with organization support from the agency.
The doctors and nurses from Turkey will work together with local experts in the field of treatment and prevention of diseases at the Yeni Klinika medical facility which is engaged in the fight against coronavirus in the country. They will support local specialists in the treatment of severely ill patients.
At the beginning of 2020, the agency held events to inform citizens about the phased implementation of mandatory health insurance in the country, on conversion of services, rights to mandatory health insurance and the amount of co-financing, medical territorial divisions, advantages and significance of the system.
Fifty-three awareness-raising events were held in Baku and 29 districts of the country. They were organized with the support of the executive authorities and educational institutions, added the agency representative.
Mandatory health insurance is applied in 23 administrative territories of Azerbaijan from January 1, 2020.
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