22.01.2024

On January 22, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev was briefed on the proposals to accelerate reforms in the healthcare sphere.

The "Uzbekistan-2030" strategy highlighted several goals, including protecting the health of citizens and improving the quality of medicine. In order to accelerate and effectively implement these reforms, proposals were developed in cooperation with international experts.

It was proposed to establish a project office called the "Healthcare Project Center" as a government institution within the structure of the Ministry of Health. The center will be responsible for various areas, such as the full implementation of the national health insurance system, the state-guaranteed package of free medical services and medications, the strengthening of the quality control and safety system of medical services, the improvement of human resource capacity, and the development of the medical education and research system based on international standards. In addition, this center will contribute to the wide-spread use of digital technologies, the acceleration of public-private partnership projects, the enhancement of the private sector, increased transparency in public procurement and the reform of the pharmaceutical sector.

Experienced specialists from specialized medical centers, higher education and research institutions, as well as foreign experts and consultants, will be involved in the activities of the project office on a contractual basis.

Reforms in the health sector require skilled personnel. Several measures to improve human resource capacity have been reviewed.

In particular, the training programs of the Tashkent Medical Academy will be international accredited. Master's programmes in public health, preventive medicine and physical activity will be introduced at the Academy. The knowledge of medical students will be assessed through two-stage state examination based on internationally recognized systems.

Starting from next year, taking into account the needs of the regions, 200 graduates of medical universities will be enrolled in master's and clinical residency programmes at prestigious foreign educational institutions.

Specialized centers for surgery, cardiology, endocrinology, dermatovenerology, and cosmetology, as well as the National Children's Medical Center and the National Medical Center, will also undergo international accreditation.

This year, the current 40 sanitary regulations and norms will be reviewed and brought into line with international standards.

The Head of State supported these proposals and ordered the approval and implementation of a "road map" for these priority objectives.