It is planned to allocate AMD 5 billion 744.6 million from the state budget of Armenia to implement a program of supporting public health in 2020 instead of AMD 4 billion 526.4 million in 2019, said Armenian Health Minister Arsen Torosyan at a joint meeting of the standing parliamentary commissions during a preliminary discussion of the draft state budget for 2020 on Friday.

According to him, it is planned to carry out a number of activities aimed at ensuring sanitary and epidemiological safety of citizens in 2020 and it is planned to allocate over AMD 2 billion for these needs instead of AMD 1 billion 847.4 million in 2019. That is AMD 153 million more.

The increase in expenses, according to Torosyan, is linked to an increase in the average salary of a medical personnel by 4–13%, as well as with an increase in funding for the purchase of medicines and medical supplies. 

According to the minister, it is necessary to take into account the cost of electricity and ensure the repayment of other current expenses.