Dr. Lyudmila Grigoryan

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A Real Hero Dr. Lyudmila Grigoryan

“I know one thing, that I know nothing.” This famous quote from Socrates is the mantra that the chief primary care physician of the Nagorno Karabakh Republic (NKR) Dr. Lyudmila Grigoryan has been following for the last 40 years. Doctor Grigoryan works at the Stepanakert Republican Hospital’s department of general medicine, and she is in charge of the most critical medical cases.

Her life story is rich and tough. She has often found herself right in the middle of the most challenging events, taking an active leadership position to meet the problems head-on. Such was the case in 1990-1995, when her entire family became fighters in the war of the liberation of her homeland – NKR. Dr. Grigoryan lost her husband, she, herself, was wounded several times, and, while wounded, she continued to help her wounded fellows and even continued to fight.

Today, Dr. Grigoryan understands and appreciates the importance of continuing education, which might be why she holds the position of chief therapist of NKR. She recently applied for the CME course that the Fund for Armenian Relief conducts for NKR doctors with funding from the American Armenian Health Professionals Organization (AAHPO).

“When I saw her application, I became concerned about whether we could organize an appropriate training program for a doctor and an individual of her caliber,” says Dr. Hambardzum Simonyan, the Director of FAR Healthcare programs.

In the course of the four-week training that followed, Dr. Grigoryan proved to be one of the most inquisitive trainees, challenging her much younger colleagues and setting an example with her impeccable discipline and sense of responsibility. At the end, when she was evaluating her mentors and trainers (a mandatory part of the trainings), one could see a spark in her eyes – she was so appreciative.

Since 2001, dozens of NKR doctors since 2011 have been given a unique opportunity to participate in the CME program in the leading hospitals of Armenia thanks to AAHPO’s remarkable investment. As the NKR Minister of Health Zoya Lazaryan stated recently, the impact of this program on the entire healthcare system of the Republic, as well as on the wellbeing of the people, is incredible.

In addition to organizing critical training for the doctors, the AAHPO CME program also provides basic medical equipment and supplies for local hospitals. Very recently, the Republican Diagnostic Center received an ultrasound diagnostic machine, a gift from the well-known American doctors and philanthropists Dr. Rafy Hovanessian (AAHPO Board member) and Dr. Levon Nazarian (AGBU Board member).

“In my life, it has always been me who is thinking about everybody and everything,” reflects Dr. Grigoryan. “This is the first time that someone else has taken care of and organized everything. And, of course I know now who that ‘someone’ is – AAHPO and FAR.” As for the organizers of this remarkable program, they are humbled to discover real heroes living and working in the neighborhood like Dr. Grigoryan.