On 8 December 1988 a devastating earthquake literally ruined the Paediatric Hospital in Gjumri , Armenia (by that time: Leninakan).
Mr. Josef Hesoun, President of the Trade Union of Construction and Wood Workers (from 1990 till 1995 he served as the Federal Minister of Social Affairs) established the not-for-profit association "Working Party to Support Armenia" (Arbeitsgemein-schaft Armenienhilfe, henceforth referred to as the ARGE).  The inauguration and first general assembly took place on 24 August 1989, encompassing the following members: the social partners of construction industries in Austria, the Austrian Caritas and the Armenian-Apostolic Parish Community. Their goal was to establish a new Paediatric Hospital in Gjumry.

The hospital's foundations have been laid in December 1989.

In February 1992, the newly established (and earthquake-proof) Austrian Paediatric Hospital (Österreichisches Kindespital, henceforth referred to as the ÖKS) has been handed over to the Armenian partners. The overall costs amounted to 9.8 mill. €. The main contributors have been the social partners of construction industries (2.9 mill €), the Federal Government of Austria (2.19 mill. €, from means earmarked for Eastern Europe)  and the Caritas (1.4 mill. €). Caritas International donated another 1.5 mill. € for medical technology.

Further substantial donations came from the Embassy of the Russian Federation (approx. 780.000 €), from the Armenian-Apostolic Parish Community (approx. 400.000 €), from Volkshilfe Austria (approx. 110.000 €), from the newspaper "Neue Zeit" (approx. 73.000 €), from the Austrian Trade Union Federation (ÖGB, approx. 58.000 €), from the Federal Chamber of Labour (approx. 43.000 €), from the Communist Party of Austria (approx. 55.000 €) and from the Austrian Army's Regional Command in Vienna (approx. 12.000 €). Further to that there have been other fund raising activities, partly supported by newspapers, so many individual donations help to add up to the total amount.

Dr. Nerses Arakelian, by that time Head of Paediatrics at the Linz General Hospital, acted as a unpaid consultant in planning the medical technology for the new ÖKS.

Spring 1993: due to lack of heating, some construction deficiencies became obvious and have been provisionally adapted by the German Red Cross, upon request by the said ARGE.

In November 1993, the Austrian maintenance technician installed a provisional container heater and repaired the fall-back power generator, these costs have been met by the Austrian Association of Municipalities (the Government of Land Vorarlberg offered 30.000 € for the oil bill, to face the coming winter).

The maintenance technician returned to the hospital in January 1994 again and brought further donations to the ÖKS to cover the oil bill.

1994/1995: as the local heating network was still not operational, a heating system had to be provided to burn fuel. Two storage tanks have been built. A new fall-back power generator, spare parts as well as medicine has been delivered to the ÖKS, further construction deficiencies have been repaired. Total costs amounted to 327.000 € (project titled "Operational assistance part 1", supported by the Federal Chancellery from means earmarked for Eastern Europe).

1996: the project "operational assistance part 2" started. It includes the supply of spare parts, further repair works and training in the field of technical maintenance, but also delivery of fuel for the heating system. Total costs: 290.000 €, again supported by the Federal Chancellery from means earmarked for Eastern Europe.

The last general assembly of the "Working Party to Support Armenia" took place on 5 December 1996, subsequently that body was dismantled. From the remaining funds of approx. 22.000 €, 16.000 € have been spent on fuel again, the rest has been transferred to the new not-for-profit "Association to Support the Austrian Paediatric Hospital in Gjumri" (Verein zur Unterstützung des österreichischen Kinderspitals in Gjumri, henceforth referred to as the Association).

The said new association has been inaugurated during the first session of the general assembly held in July 1997. It is engaged in fund raising for medicine and fuel (e.g. from the Austrian Red Cross).

During a joint fund raising activity in cooperation with the Austrian Paediatric Society, which addressed all paediatric doctors in writing, 3.000 € have been collected. They are earmarked to cover heating costs. As a result of the successful cooperation, the Paediatric Society nominated one of its members to the Board of the Association.

Throughout the following years, the association took care that the hospital heating does not run short of fuel.

In 2001, the association won the support of Mr. Günter Peter, a hospital manager, who headed the administration of the public hospital in Scheibbs for many years.  Mr. Peter collects donations for the ÖKS through his public presentations about Armenia and the ÖKS, and at least once per year he travels to Gjumri for on-site inspections and consultation with the ÖKS management there.

2002 till 2004: Implementation of projects, funded by the Austrian Federal Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. This is mostly to reconfigure the heating system for the use of (cheaper) gas instead of oil, reshaping construction faults, procurement procedures (medicine), further training of medical staff and further development (extension to new areas, e.g. treatment for adults). Total costs: 197.000 €.

As a response to the association's lobbying, the Armenian Health Authorities replaced the ÖKS' director on 1 April 2004. The new director is Dr. Ashot Kurghinian. He has been head of the surgical department in the ÖKS and has a record of several study visits paid to Austrian hospitals (Feldkirch, Scheibbs and SMZ Ost in Vienna).

Dr. Ashot Kurghinian

Mr. Peter's consultancy and support for the ÖKS brought about a dialogue between the Association and its Armenian partners with a view to alternative management concepts for the ÖKS.

2005: The Austrian Federal Ministry of Health gave its approval for a project  to establish an outpatient care for diabetic children (10.000 €). Therefore, since October 2005 parents need not bring their children to Yerevan, the distant capital (120 km) any more.
2006/2007: after 15 years in use, the neonatology needed a complete overhaul. The Austrian Development Agency approved the proposed project (total 70.000 €) in November 2006, the ADA covered 50 % of the total costs. Further funding comes from Vienna Municipality (14.000 €), the Land Vorarlberg (7.000 €), the Lower Austria chapter of the Federal Chamber of Labour (5.000 €) and the Armenian Parish Community (3.000 €).

In October 2007, a technical training took place in Vienna for one Armenian doctor, one nurse and one medical engineer.

2008: The Government of Armenia adopted a strategy to optimize health care, which included the transfer of the labour ward from the Gjumri local hospital into the ÖKS. In close cooperation with its Armenian partners, the Association supported the implementation of that transfer, as the overall goal is to establish a mother-child health centre at the ÖKS.
Mr. Rudolf and Mr. Carlo Maghakhian (brothers) initiated the "Vienna Vision Centre" to be established at the ÖKS, with a seed financing of 40.000 € coming from sponsorships and private donations). Kids will be offered affordable spectacles and need not travel to Yerevan for visual aids. The centre also provides (apprenticeship) training of jobless youngsters (orphans).
From the very beginning of the project until recently, Dr. Nerses Arakelian, former Head of Paediatrics at the Linz General Hospital, has provided his invaluable support (also on-site) for the Association's endeavours in implementing the ÖKS project, with particular regard to medical and technical planning. Since 2001, he represented the Armenian Parish Community in the board of the Association.

Mag. Hans Döller, October 2008