Los Angeles Based Architect Designs Karabakh Hospital

Armenia Fund, Inc.
111 North Jackson St. Ste. 205
Glendale, CA 91206

T | 818-243-6222
F | 818-243-7222
E | info@armeniafund.org

www.armeniafund.org

Contact: Sarkis Kotanjian
For Immediate Release
March 29, 2006

Los Angeles, CA - On March 6, 2006 Armenia Fund Western U.S. Region led a hospital reconstruction team to the war-torn Martakert region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The purpose of the site visit was to formulate architectural and engineering plans for the new regional healthcare facility. The project will be funded through donations collected at the 2005 Telethon as part of the Martakert Regional Development plan. In addition, a number of long time benefactors in the western U.S. region adopted specific departments of the hospital for reconstruction.

Arturo Fribourg, a Los Angeles based architect, specializing in public works and health care facilities was a part of the team visiting the hospital. Fribourg will provide the conceptual design of the hospital. His plan, among others, will address several programmatic issues facing the hospital. Upon completion of the design phase, Karabakh-based architect Mamikon Farsian, will adapt the program to local construction and medical codes and will prepare the reconstruction program drawings, in accordance with Fribourg's plan for the hospital.

Prior to his departure to Armenia, Fribourg worked with Dr. Alina Dorian, senior program manager at the UCLA Center for Public Health and Disasters, to map out the problems and initial plans. Dorian, who is currently in Karabakh, is part of the team as the public healthcare advisor. She will prepare the region's healthcare program and will oversee the development of a modern healthcare administration.

Built during the early 1970's, the Soviet-era regional hospital has deteriorated due to a lack of proper maintenance. Recently, the hospital was severely damaged from the war, suffering among others, aerial missile attacks and looting. The renovated hospital will incorporate the vital aspects of a western standard hospital to meet the healthcare needs of the region.

During the visit to Karabakh, Fribourg met with H.E. Arkady Ghoukasian, President and H.E. Anoushavan Danielian, Prime Minister of the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh. President Ghoukasian thanked Fribourg for embarking on this challenging project and pledged full support for the proper and timely completion of the project. Led by Armenia Fund Inc.'s Executive Director, Sarkis Kotanjian, the team also met with Health Minister Dr. Zoya Lazaryan and Chief Administrator of the Hospital Dr. Sergei Ohanian to learn about immediate and long term healthcare needs of the Martakert Region as well as daily problems facing the hospital.

According to the schedule, at the end of April, all architectural renderings and design schematics will be completed, paving the way for a full-scale reconstruction during the late spring months of 2006. The project is expected to be completed within the next 12 - 18 months, factoring in the pause of construction during the harsh winter months. Upon completion of construction, Armenia Fund will place modern medical furniture and state of the art equipment designed to meet regional healthcare demands. Currently, Armenia Fund is working on obtaining special grants and in-kind donations from major healthcare providers throughout the United States. For more information on this project, please visit www.armeniafund.org

Armenia Fund, Inc., is a non-profit 501(c)(3) tax-exempt corporation established in 1994 to facilitate large-scale humanitarian and infrastructure development assistance to Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh. Armenia Fund, Inc. is the U.S. Western Region affiliate of "Hayastan" All-Armenian Fund. Tax ID# 95-4485698