The Council of Europe continues to prioritize psychological support for refugee healthcare professionals following the influx of refugees from Karabakh region in September 2023. The phycological support aims at tackling the experience of healthcare professionals as frontline workers during the events of September 2023, as well as address the challenges in adaptation to the new environment.
The Council of Europe delivers trainings as part of phychological support activities to refugee healthcare professionals in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the National Institute of Health of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia to support the Government of Armenia in their efforts to integrate healthcare professionals from Karabakh region into the healthcare system in Armenia.
On 14-15 September 2024, a group of 20 refugee healthcare professionals participated in a capacity building session in Aghveran, Armenia. The training focused on building efficient doctor-patient relationships. The topics of the training included effective communication methods, preconditions to effective communication, emotional literacy and its role in achieving successful relationship.
The opening remarks of the event were delivered by Ms Naira Meliksetyan, Project Officer of the Project “Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine II” and Ms Lilit Harutyunyan, Head of the National Centre for Accreditation of Professional Activities of the National Institute of Health of the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia. Both sides emphasized the importance of these trainings for the integration process of healthcare professionals.
Participation in the training has sensitized refugee healthcare professionals on the nuances of successful communication with patients. As a result of the training participants acquired tools to address difficulties arising during interaction with difficult patients, and at the same time strengthened the ability to identify their own emotions and deal with their own complex feelings on the way of integration.
The capacity building event was organised by the Council of Europe as part of its Project on “Protection of Human Rights in Biomedicine II” implemented within the Council of Europe Action Plan for Armenia 2023-2026.
