A therapeutic lab, two gyms and a cafeteria: Viva-MTS supports the Homeland Defender’s Rehabilitation Center to expand delivered services

Due to a dramatic increase in the number of wounded soldiers following the 44-day war, the building conditions of the Homeland Defender’s Rehabilitation Center have been insufficient to provide for the needs of the its patients. Extended opportunities are vital for those who have the referral to be included in rehabilitation programs – soldiers who have suffered cranio-cerebral, abdominal, chest, multi-fragment, poly-organ injuries, as well as burnt injuries. For part of them rehabilitation treatments are prescribed for the rest of life.

Viva-MTS has donated a significant amount of money to launch construction of walking lab, kinesitherapy and ergotherapy gyms, as well as the building of a cafeteria. The program is expected to provide conditions that will let provide professional services to a maximum number of soldiers. The acting gyms intended of kinesitherapy and ergotherapy are not enough any more to ensure all soldiers with prescribed rehabilitation programs are rendered the services at a time. The number of gyms will grow once construction is finished and help specialists eager to treat as many patients as possible.

The walking lab that is about to be built soon will let see potential problems in 2D to take preventive measures. That is expected to increase the efficiency of the rehabilitation for those with lower limb prosthetics, using orthoses, as well as damages of central and peripheral nervous systems, lower limb injuries, and soldiers suffering locomotor issues.

“There are programs that are assessed by clearly measurable results as well as the immeasurable human values. This partnership was born with an urge to mitigate the consequences of war in our injured soldiers in the best of our abilities. Having our boys getting back to normal life that has changed in a measure of a single day takes hard work, as well as instrumental, professional, and psychological support. Ensuring all that needs full-furbished facilities and advanced equipment. I do hope that with a joint effort and through everyday care our partners will succeed in achieving well anticipated results,” Viva-MTS General Director Armen Avetisian said.

The capacity extension program includes construction of a cafeteria for those who get ambulatory and out-of-hospital treatment. The existent cafeteria is small; a new one will replace it to let foods made of fresh and healthy products are cooked in-house.

“The Homeland Defender’s Rehabilitation Center has never rejected help to any of our boys. Every homeland defender who has ever applied to us has been provided with the sought support; and yet, following the 44-day war, the number of soldiers needing help has grown immensely, and so, oftentimes, we are forced to make them wait for some while before we are able to provide the services. The current capacities of the center let provide treatment to only a limited number of patients at a time. With the support of our partner, Viva-MTS, today we announce the start of the program aimed at expanding the center’s capacities. With that, we will be able to serve to more soldiers; we will have a walking lab, and a larger cafeteria, where we will be able to offer quality food to both in-hospital, as well as ambulatory patients”, YSMU President Armen Muradyan said.

“This is not the first time Viva-MTS stands by the Homeland Defender’s Rehabilitation Center. We have seen a few months from now how helpful the orthoses purchased with the support of Viva-MTS to our boys have proved in terms of fixing their walking, rehabilitation, and increasing their quality of life. With the new batch of orthoses, the soldiers treated at the center will be able to handle orthoses with remote controls and set in a position most convenient to them in a given moment. Today, we show the head of our partner organization the section of the building, which is actually being reconstructed. We are expanding its capacity. Simply put, we will be able to render treatment and other services to more people at a time” Homeland Defender’s Rehabilitation Center Director Haykuhi Minasyan said.

Owing to the support by Viva-MTS, the rehabilitation center has obtained 16 remotely controlled orthoses, intended for soldiers with various neurological injuries and issues, such as partial or total dysfunction of lower limbs. Orthoses are mostly needed among people who have suffered brain, bone marrow as well as peripheral nervous system damages.

A medical technology manufacturer “Fior & Gentz” orthoses have three modes of remote control. The first totally immobilizes the lower limb; the second one ensures a half-set position, and the third level makes a limb fully mobile. The regimes are chosen individually based on the condition of the patient.

Orthoses are supporting measures to fix or to improve walking. In some cases, orthoses are lifetime prescription.

A year ago, Viva-MTS helped the center to purchase 100 units of orthoses manufactured by German and Dutch companies.

Viva-MTS (MTS Armenia CJSC) is Armenia's leading mobile operator with the most extensive network and provides a wide range of voice and data services throughout Armenia. Taking the basis of activity to serve the interests of its subscribers in the best way, since the day of establishment in 2005, July 1, Viva-MTS has been able to create a nationwide network and a large subscriber base in a short period of time. Viva-MTS is a leader in innovation and pursues all industry developments for the benefit of the country's mobile telecommunications market. Viva-MTS is guided in its activities by ISO 26000 - Social Responsibility, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 - Information Security Management System, as well as ISO 37001 - anti-corruption and bribery prevention international standards. For more information, visit www.mts.am

Mobile Telesystem JSC (MTS) is the largest telecommunications operator in Russia and the CIS countries. Together with subsidiaries, the organization serves over 88 million subscribers in Russia, Armenia and Belarus. Since June 2000, MTS shares have been listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol MBT. For more information, visit www.mtsgsm.com