18.05.2021

On May 18, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a videoconference on measures to improve the effectiveness of reforms in the healthcare sector.

Peace and health are the main values in a person’s life. Their implementation is determined by an important direction of the social policy of our state.

In particular, the medical sector is being gradually improved on the basis of the Concept for Development of Healthcare System of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Over the past year, more than 20 resolutions and decrees aimed at improving the quality of medical care have been adopted. This year, 21 trillion Uzbek soums were allocated from the budget, which is 3 times more than in 2017.

However, much more work should be accomplished to improve the effectiveness of the system. In surveys, only 13% of respondents said that they felt positive changes in the medical sector.  

The President has outlined five areas of further transformation.

The first is - to turn the primary link of medicine into a system of early detection and treatment of diseases.

The second - is to increase the volume and radically improve the quality of specialized medical services through specialized centers.

The third - is to dramatically reduce paperwork, bureaucracy and corruption in the sphere through digitalization.

The fourth - is to develop competition and expand the participation of the private sector in all areas of medicine.

The fifth – is to increase the level of knowledge of medical workers, to develop medical education and science.

The practical aspects of the implementation of these tasks were discussed at the meeting.

«Imagine how many people will be satisfied, will restore their health, if quality-targeted reforms are implemented in the medicine. When the responsible persons of the sphere, khokims (governors) consult with each rural doctor, nurse, study the world experience and take measures, changes will definitely occur», Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

A priority attention should be paid to improving the quality of services at family medical centers and polyclinics.

Today, the facilities of primary care setting have the potential to provide treatment for 87 types of diseases. To do this, it is necessary to provide them with qualified personnel, as well as with 50 types of medicines and 16 types of medical devices for emergency care.

The President stressed the importance of treating the chronic diseases in the primary care setting, especially strengthening the prevention of cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. It is planned to introduce a package of free medical services for the treatment of diseases in the primary level.

It was pointed out that it is necessary to improve the skills of family doctors together with the World Health Organization, to attract specialists to remote districts in the framework of the «Rural Doctor» program. The task is to improve the standards of the staff of family medical centers and polyclinics, the qualification requirements for doctors, medical technicians and the standards of equipment. 

There are 17 specialized medical centers in the country. They conduct medical examinations on the ground, as a result, the diseases are detected at an early stage and access to medical care is facilitated.

In particular, the centers of phthisiology and pediatrics have opened their offices in all regions, thanks to it the number of patients coming to Tashkent has decreased by almost 20% over the past two years.

The President has outlined the need to effectively link regional, district and city hospitals to specialized centers and bring qualified medical services closer to the population.

The diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation of cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory and dermatological diseases do not require surgical intervention. They can be carried out in the districts.  At the regional level, there are sufficient conditions for the organization of surgical interventions in the field of eye microsurgery, urology, traumatology, thoracic and abdominal surgery.

The priority should be given to difficult-to-diagnose diseases and high-tech operations in the republican centers.

In this regard, it was instructed to approve the list of diseases to be treated in regional and district hospitals, as well as to take measures to improve doctors’ competence.

The governors are tasked with providing the regional medical institutions with sophisticated equipment and medical devices, such as angiographs, laparoscopes, and artificial blood circulation devices.

It is also noted that the process of licensing the private medical organizations should be simplified and fully digitalized.

Today, modern technologies are being introduced into the activities of medical institutions, which are more than 3 thousand in the country. 423 primary care institutions are connected to the Electronic Polyclinic information system.

However, not all of them have created favorable conditions for working in a new way. Some medical facilities do not have enough computers. Although 28 billion Uzbek soums have been allocated from the budget for the digitalization of the sphere. The work in this direction is proceeding slowly.

In this regard, it is planned to introduce the position of a deputy head of the department for digitalization and development of public-private partnership in the regional health departments. In addition, 2 thousand staff of nurse operators will be introduced in all medical institutions.

It was instructed to launch an electronic system for issuing certificate by August 1 this year, integrate all regional and specialized centers, and fully digitalize the paperwork of all polyclinics in Tashkent by November 1.

The issues of improving the health of mothers and children also were discussed at the meeting. First, the importance of promoting a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition of children were emphasized. The task is to conduct targeted screenings based on the analysis of the situation in each region.    

It is indicated that perinatal and screening centers will be merged into a single cluster with the organization of district centers in the regions.

Another priority in healthcare is the development of medical education, science and training.

The current methodology of medical education was approved 30-40 years ago, and most textbooks do not meet the international standards. The universities and specialized centers do not have motivation to increase their scientific potential.

Therefore, it is necessary to transform medical universities, open new areas for training managers and specialists in working with sophisticated equipment based on advanced foreign experience. The instruction was given to send the talented young people studying in residency and master’s programs to foreign internships.

«Trillions are allocated each year. The international loans are attracted for the healthcare system. Our people should feel the effect of these funds», Shavkat Mirziyoyev has said.

The officials made presentations on the issues discussed at the meeting.