07.05.2025

On May 7, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev chaired a meeting dedicated to improving the quality of primary and specialized medical care, streamlining drug consumption and improving medical education.

Over the past 7 years, the amount of funding for healthcare has increased 6-fold. Medical institutions in the regions have been modernized. More than 400 high-tech surgeries, previously performed exclusively in the capital, are now performed in the regions and districts. A system has been established connecting the primary link with specialized medical care.

Uzbekistan has 29 doctors for every 10,000 people, which is comparable to the US, UK and Finland, and higher than in Türkiye and Canada. However, the efficiency of work and quality of treatment remain insufficient.

For instance, due to the poor performance of primary care in the districts, the rate of illnesses and complications is not decreasing. Non-communicable diseases cause damage to the country's economy of about $1 billion dollars annually.

Every fourth ambulance call is for patients with chronic diseases. In some places, the ambulance actually serves as an outpatient clinic. There are imbalances in the distribution of personnel, beds and finances between district and regional institutions.

The introduction of a health insurance system is postponed every year. The waiting lists and medical services are still not fully digitalized.

Two deputy health ministers were dismissed from their posts because of the shortcomings, and another one received a warning.

The meeting discussed the issues of improving the work of primary care, disease prevention, professional development of medical workers and improving the quality of treatment. Given the coverage of the population, analysis of diseases and the nature of appeals, a new order of work has been determined.

The primary link will be reformed, each medical team will conclude a bilateral contract with the population under its care. People will be free to choose a family doctor, including private specialists.

A guaranteed package of medical care will be approved, where services and medicines will be fully covered from the budget.

Primary care doctors and nurses will work only on a full-time basis. The number of obstetricians-gynecologists in polyclinics will be doubled, for every 3 thousand children there will be a pediatrician.

Doctor's offices and family polyclinics in the districts will be optimized in terms of coverage. The central polyclinic will be transformed into a consulting and diagnostic department of a district hospital, where all narrow specialists will be concentrated.

The basic salary of a family doctor will be the equivalent of $500, a nurse - $300. If there is a certificate of qualification, the same bonus will be paid. For active work in the mahalla, training of patients with chronic diseases, early detection of oncology, diabetes, stroke, heart attack and prevention of complications, further salary increases are envisaged. Thus, family doctors will be able to receive up to $1,500, nurses - $600-800 in equivalent.

This system will be tested this year in 15 districts and cities, and next year throughout Samarkand region.

At the same time, the responsibility of family doctors and nurses will be strengthened. Cases of heart attacks, strokes, early deaths of mothers and children, and disabilities due to chronic diseases will be considered emergencies.

The corrupt practice of medical advisory commissions in determining disability will be abolished. Now the decision will be made based on a document drawn up by a family doctor or a medical and social expert commission.

Responsible persons in the sphere and regional khokims have been instructed to implement the “90 days of changes in medicine” program, under which order will be restored in waiting areas and corridors of medical institutions, and sanitary culture will be improved. The “Clean Hands” program will be implemented in schools and social institutions to improve sanitary and hygienic conditions.

The issues of specialized medical care were also discussed.

Only high-tech complex surgeries will be performed at the expense of the budget in the republican medical centers.

The system of issuing and distributing electronic referrals will be completely revised with the approval of the list of diseases and a single base tariff.

A referral issued for treatment at the republican level will be placed on a single electronic platform where it will be available to all public and private clinics. The patient himself will choose the appropriate medical institution on the basis of proposals.

Special attention is paid to oncohematology in children - 75 percent of such diseases in the country are detected at late stages. In this regard, a five-year program to combat pediatric oncology is being developed with funding of at least $110 million.

The regulation of drug consumption was discussed separately. Developed countries use drugs with proven effectiveness. In Uzbekistan, 42 percent of imported drugs have no proven effectiveness, but they are still prescribed by doctors and used by the population.

The Minister of Healthcare has been instructed to exclude from clinical protocols drugs recognized as ineffective or with insufficiently proven efficacy.

All medical institutions, especially children's hospitals, will be inspected for the rational use of antibiotics.

Special attention is paid to the quality of medical education.

For the last 7 years the admission to medical universities has been increased up to 25 thousand people per year, 40 percent are studying in private universities. However, there is no transparent system of assessment of knowledge and skills.

In this regard, from now on, the knowledge of graduates of medical universities and technical schools in applying modern methods of diagnosis and treatment will be assessed on the basis of a transparent system. For this purpose, a National Center for Medical Assessment is being created, which will assess both students and current medical professionals.

All public and private clinics will be accredited. Professional development of specialists will be transferred to universities, profile centers and regional institutions.

It was also instructed to introduce dual training, transfer universities under the control of clinics and provide them with financial autonomy.

In general, responsible persons were instructed to use budget funds efficiently, accelerate digitalization, introduce insurance, impose discipline and achieve citizen satisfaction with the quality of medical services.