Main Goal – Health of the Nation

April 17, 2007

Uzbekistan annually increases the volume of the budget funds being allocated for the healthcare: compare to the year 1999 this indicator grew by 7,4 percent and accounted for UZS 480,8 bln. (US $1=1251.13). For over the past 10 years the total mortality rate in Uzbekistan has decreased by 22 percent, the child mortality indicators – by 68 percent, the mother mortality - by 38 percent.

The most important directions of the reforms are to create the logistical and practical conditions to increase the quality of healthcare, enhance the role and prestige of the medical personnel, improve the payment system and stimulate their labor.

In accordance with the Resolution of the President of Uzbekistan of December 1, 2005 “On bettering the system of payment for the work of medicinal personnel”, the system of payment, which directly depends o­n the volume of the accomplished work and its quality, has been introduced. As a result, the salaries for the medicinal personnel starting January 2006 have increased o­n average by 1,7-1,9-fold against January 2005, but against December the same year – o­n average by 1,3-fold, and o­n some areas of such work – by 1,5-1,6-fold.

Annually over 6 million people in the country receive the free emergency medical aid guaranteed by state.

The state pays a special attention to supplying the treatment and prophylactic facilities with the latest treatment and diagnostic equipment. For instance, over 10,000 medical surgeries and other diagnostic procedures are annually held at the Republican specialized centers, which are established upon the Resolution of the President of Uzbekistan of February 26, 2003 “On measures to further reform the healthcare system”. Over 4,000 out of the aforementioned number of surgeries are the high-tech surgeries and diagnostic procedures.

The recreational programs include the broad spectrum of the treatment tools used around the globe. As a whole, all this allows for over the short period of time to diagnose the disease, provide for the necessary treatment, and most importantly, grant the person a complete cure.

One of the priority directions of the healthcare reforms is to establish the countryside medical stations (CMS), supply them with the latest medical equipment and provide with qualified cadres. At the moment, there are 3,000 countryside medical stations in the country. Before, the villagers used to travel to the central district hospital to seek treatment even for a simple disease. Apart from the budget funds the credits allotted by the World Bank have been spent for the procurement of medical equipment for CMS.

To date, there are 92 enterprises in the Republic of Uzbekistan, which manufacture the medical produce. Their pharmaceutical activity is controlled based o­n the Law “On medicines and pharmaceutical activity”. More than 12 guideline documents, which regulate the quality and technology of medicines in the manufacturing enterprises, function in the country. Of them the main document is OST 19-01:2003 “The rules o­n the proper production practices” (GMP), which has been elaborated in line with the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommendations.

A number of governmental documents for the development of private entrepreneurship have been adopted in the country. They have given an opportunity to develop the system of private medicine. The private clinics and medical centers render qualified medical services to the people. In 1999 700 private clinics operated in the country. By 2006 their number has accounted for 4,000.

Four specialized Republican medical centers of surgery, cardiology, microsurgery and urology are successfully operating in Uzbekistan. The branch of a specialized center of urology has been established in the Khorezm Province. Besides, the centers of cardiology and microsurgery of eye are soon to be established there.

The branch of the Republican scientific center for emergency medical assistance able to accommodate 205 patients at a time has been reconstructed in the Republic of Karakalpakstan. UZS 140 mln. have been mastered within this project, as well as UZS 230 mln. – as a part of the project of reconstruction of children’s hospital for 180 patients.

The training of cadres is of a vital importance for the development of medical infrastructure. Along with existing medical schools, the new medical facilities such as the medical colleges of Marghilan city, Peshkun and Karakul districts of Bukhara Province, diagnostic centers of Jizzakh city have been constructed and now are successfully operating in Uzbekistan. Besides, another medical college is soon to be commissioned in Gulistan city.

In order to improve the quality of emergency medical services, Uzbekistan is actively engaged in raising the qualification skills of medical cadres. In particular, in 2006 nearly 400 doctors went through training in clinics in Russia, Germany, Great Britain, Turkey, India and Egypt.

The foreign investments are being actively attracted to the sphere of healthcare. Alongside with participation of the Ministry of Health ten projects are being implemented owing to the foreign investments channeled to the sphere worth in total over US $133,7 mln.

The high technology equipment for the Republican emergency medical aid center and its affiliate offices in provinces – the computer thomographs, ultra-sound diagnosis tools, endoscopes, X-ray machines, and other – have been procured for the loans allotted by the Islamic Development Bank, and the modern radiological equipment for the o­ncology hospitals – for the loans allotted by the government of the People’s Republic of China.

For over the past ten years Japan has allocated Uzbekistan over US$ 26 mln. to consolidate the logistical and technical base of the medical institutions.

At the moment, the Global Fund’s HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria project worth US$ 40 mln. is being implemented in the country.

The health of the nation, like the wellness of any person, is a main condition for the normal development of the country as much as its well being. The health of the people is an absolute priority of the policies of the Uzbek state.