Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan's President Shavkat Mirziyoyev has announced a package of measures to support healthcare workers, including salary supplements, housing assistance, expanded training opportunities and incentives for doctors working in remote areas.
The measures were outlined during a meeting with healthcare and pharmaceutical industry professionals, where the president congratulated them on their approaching professional holiday and thanked them for their work.
"To enjoy the happiness of one's family, work honestly, achieve one's goals and lead a meaningful life, a person must first and foremost be healthy. That is why protecting people's health has been identified as one of the most important priorities of our reforms," Mirziyoyev said.
The president said more than 800,000 people working in Uzbekistan's healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors had contributed to the reforms.
Over the past decade, new clinics and hospitals serving 10 million people have been commissioned, while 58,000 hospital beds have been added. The expansion of modern hospitals and greater opportunities for private healthcare providers have helped triple the volume of medical services.
More than 100 types of medical services previously available only abroad can now be provided in Uzbekistan. These include treatment for congenital heart defects, organ transplantation, robotic surgery and complex brain operations.
Mirziyoyev emphasized that the knowledge and professional skills of healthcare workers had played a decisive role in these achievements.
The president also presented state awards to healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs and foreign partners who had recently been recognized under a presidential decree.
A major component of the new reforms is the introduction of a state registration system for medical and pharmaceutical professionals.
The system, developed after advance preparations and a review of international practices, will begin operating on 1 July 2027. Registration will initially be voluntary before becoming mandatory in 2030.
Registered doctors and pharmacists will receive salary supplements of 7 million soums, while nurses will receive 3.5 million soums.
"Medical workers must constantly improve their knowledge and keep pace with innovation," Mirziyoyev said.
He stressed that healthcare requires clear rules, strict oversight and qualified professionals.
Relevant government agencies have been instructed to ensure continuous professional training, skills development and improvements in the quality of medical education.
The president also announced additional financial incentives for nurses and medical specialists.
Nurses who have completed bachelor's degrees will receive salary supplements of 1.5 million soums, while those with master's degrees will receive 2.5 million soums. Specialists in narrow medical disciplines working within the family medicine system will receive an additional 5.5 million soums.
From 2027, residency training in specialized medical fields at universities will become free of charge, with trainees receiving monthly stipends of 3 million soums.
Residency programmes will last between two and five years, depending on the specialty. Family medicine training will take two years, while surgical residency will last five years.
Medical education will also become more closely integrated with clinical practice.
Uzbekistan currently trains 15,000 doctors annually at 11 public universities, but the president noted that not all graduates are prepared to begin treating patients immediately after completing their studies.
"In other professions, a young specialist may make a mistake, but a future doctor has no right to do so, because every action of a medical professional involves a human life," Mirziyoyev said.
Starting next year, medical students will spend three days a week learning to work with patients, while final-year students will complete full practical training in healthcare institutions.
University clinics have already been established through the assignment of medical facilities to universities. The government now aims to conduct 80% of medical research at these clinics.
Research will focus primarily on improving diagnostic accuracy, treatment effectiveness and reducing the risk of complications.
The president also announced expanded financial support for medical workers seeking housing.
A total of 50 billion soums has been allocated to partially repay mortgages for employees who have worked in the healthcare system for at least 15 years. The measure is expected to enable 1,000 healthcare workers to move into new homes next year.
Young professionals will also benefit from housing assistance. Each year, 500 young healthcare workers will receive compensation covering 25% of the initial mortgage down payment.
Doctors working in remote areas will receive higher monthly allowances from next year, with payments increasing from 2 million to 4.5 million soums.
Doctors taking up employment in such areas will also receive a one-time bonus of 50 million soums.
Additional measures are planned to encourage Uzbek doctors with experience in foreign clinics to return and work in domestic hospitals.
"We will create a new system that will attract them to our hospitals and help them establish their own medical schools within the healthcare system of New Uzbekistan," Mirziyoyev said.
These specialists will receive monthly salary supplements of up to 50 million soums, while their workplaces will be equipped with modern medical equipment.
They will also be able to assemble their own medical teams, selecting doctors, assistants and nurses to work alongside them.
The government will cover expenses associated with participation in major professional conferences and exchanges of experience with international colleagues.
The initiative will initially cover 26 specialized medical centres. Each centre director will be responsible for recruiting between five and ten Uzbek doctors with international experience next year.
The president also outlined measures to expand private healthcare services and address regional disparities in medical infrastructure.
The number of private clinics in Uzbekistan has increased from 3,500 in 2017 to more than 9,000.
Private providers now account for 90% of dental services, 70% of diagnostic services and 60% of services in otolaryngology, urology and ophthalmology.
However, substantial differences remain between regions.
In Andijan, Ferghana, Namangan and Samarkand regions, as well as Tashkent, between 35% and 40% of private clinics have inpatient beds.
In Karakalpakstan and Syrdarya, Jizzakh and Navoi regions, the figure remains below 15%.
Private sector participation is also insufficient in medical rehabilitation, nephrology, oncology, neurosurgery, psychiatry, addiction treatment and maternity care. Developing these services will be a priority.
Regional governors have been instructed to identify and announce land plots for private clinic construction each year.
These plots will be offered through auctions exclusively for healthcare development and made available on favourable terms.
Private providers will also play a greater role in the professional development of healthcare workers, who will be able to choose where they undertake additional training.
The government will fully reimburse professional development expenses for employees of primary healthcare facilities and district medical institutions.
As a result, 130,000 healthcare workers in districts are expected to save a combined 100 billion soums annually.
Mirziyoyev also proposed establishing a special state award named after Ibn Sina to recognize healthcare professionals who demonstrate outstanding commitment to protecting public health, introducing scientific advances and applying modern treatment methods.
Efforts to strengthen primary healthcare will continue following the introduction of a new service model in 28 districts.
Under the pilot programme, 7 million people were assigned to family doctors, with each patient linked to a specific physician. Mutual agreements defined the responsibilities and obligations of both sides.
New laboratories were opened, doctors and nurses received training, and standardized patient pathways were developed.
According to the president, these measures helped increase public confidence in outpatient clinics.
Patients receiving outpatient care are currently entitled to 69 types of medicines free of charge under the guaranteed healthcare package.
The primary healthcare model will be extended to another 100 districts next year.
The government also plans to expand early cancer detection programmes.
Screening for stomach, colorectal, prostate and lung cancers will begin in Samarkand before being extended nationwide in 2028.
Annual funding of 700 billion soums will be allocated for the initiative.
Existing early detection programmes for diabetes, tuberculosis, cardiovascular diseases, tumours in women and childhood oncohaematological diseases will continue.
A programme for the early detection and treatment of heart attacks and strokes is already operating in Andijan, Ferghana, Namangan and Samarkand regions and Tashkent.
According to figures presented at the meeting, premature mortality from these conditions declined by 15% over five months.
The programme also enabled medical teams to save 855 people from premature death and prevent disabling complications by providing treatment within the critical first hour after symptoms began.
Next year, the programme will receive 280 billion soums and be expanded to every district and city in Uzbekistan.
The guaranteed healthcare package will also be broadened, increasing the number of medicines provided free of charge to 73 and the number of covered medical examinations to 36.
Mirziyoyev announced the introduction of the New Uzbekistan Medical Standards, covering professional training, healthcare facility construction, sanitary and hygiene requirements, patient safety and medical staff conduct.
"When a person enters a clinic, the first things they should see are cleanliness, order and professionalism," the president said.
Primary healthcare workers will gradually receive special uniforms free of charge.
This year, regional competitions are being held for the first time to recognize the best doctors and nurses at district level, with winners receiving 30 million soums each.
From next year, incentives will be expanded. Fourteen doctors winning regional competitions will receive electric vehicles, while the authors of the ten best projects promoting healthy lifestyles will receive grants of 200 million soums each.
The president also announced changes to the planning and financing of healthcare infrastructure.
New medical facilities will be developed according to master plans that take population size and settlement patterns into account.
The approach is intended to prevent shortages of hospitals in some areas and underutilization of existing facilities in others as Uzbekistan's population grows and new cities and residential developments are built.
The government plans to gradually introduce mechanisms for purchasing medical services from private providers.
Under new outsourcing arrangements, entrepreneurs will be allocated space in public hospitals to install modern equipment, with their services paid for through the health insurance system.
Private providers will also be contracted to deliver haemodialysis, laboratory diagnostics, sterilization, rehabilitation and physiotherapy services.
Each region will announce the operating conditions and financing mechanisms for its healthcare services market, with terms designed to encourage business participation.
Mirziyoyev instructed regional leaders to attract at least US$150 million in investments and grants to each region next year.
The president also outlined plans to strengthen healthcare digitalization, including private clinics and pharmacies.
He said artificial intelligence would soon expand the capabilities of the digital healthcare system, making it a practical tool for doctors and nurses.
Next year, Uzbekistan plans to launch ten artificial intelligence systems in medical fields including cardiology, hepatology, ophthalmology and haematology.
"New solutions will be introduced for remote patient monitoring, disease detection through speech analysis and monitoring the safety of medicines," Mirziyoyev said.
Regional competitions will recognize the Best Information Technology Operator and Best Digital Medicine Doctor, with winners receiving 100 million soums each.
The pharmaceutical sector will also remain a focus of government policy.
Uzbekistan aims to meet 70% of its pharmaceutical product requirements through domestic production.
In recent years, 330 new production facilities worth a combined US$1 billion have been commissioned.
The Tashkent BioPharm City cluster and pharmaceutical free economic zones have also been established in Andijan, Namangan, Jizzakh and Tashkent regions.
Projects worth a combined US$1.2 billion are being implemented in these zones.
Mirziyoyev also addressed the development of biotechnology, genomics and cell technologies.
He noted that advances in these fields are creating treatment opportunities for diseases previously considered incurable, while increasing the importance of protecting patients' rights.
"In research involving human life and health, people's rights, consent and dignity must come first," he said.
Uzbekistan will establish a stronger legal framework for bioethics and biotechnology.
In cooperation with Harvard Medical School, the country plans to train specialists in hereditary diseases and introduce genetic testing.
The president also called for stronger cooperation between specialized medical centres and regional healthcare institutions.
He highlighted the neurosurgery expertise developed at the Republican Emergency Medical Centre and stressed the need to transfer that experience to the regions.
Multidisciplinary teams comprising surgeons, anaesthesiologists, intensive care specialists, assistants and nurses will be deployed to regional facilities.
Their role will include improving healthcare quality at the primary level, strengthening public confidence and training local teams capable of delivering qualified medical care.
A new operating model for specialized centres in districts and mahallas will also include training for primary healthcare personnel.
Medical teams will undertake internships lasting three to four months at specialized centres, with the requirement subsequently extended to other centres.
From next year, the government plans to introduce annual contracts for the directors of 26 specialized medical centres.
Each director will assume specific responsibilities for introducing innovations, improving the qualifications of primary healthcare workers and applying scientific developments in clinical practice.
Specialists from leading foreign university hospitals will be involved in assessing shortcomings at the centres, after which directors' responsibilities will be clearly defined.
Centre directors will report publicly on their performance at the end of each year, and contract renewals will depend on their results.
Mirziyoyev also instructed officials to introduce mechanisms allowing patients to directly evaluate the performance of hospitals and outpatient clinics at national, regional and district levels from next year.
Doctors' and nurses' salaries will be linked to key performance indicators (KPIs), with patient satisfaction serving as the principal assessment criterion.
The president also called for changes to the governance of professional medical associations.
He criticized the lack of renewal in some organizations, noting that certain associations had been led by the same individuals for many years, limiting opportunities for other specialists.
Medical associations should play a more active role in helping members improve their qualifications abroad and introducing advanced treatment methods, he said.
A recently adopted decree has granted the associations broader powers.
Under the proposed changes, association leaders would be elected by members for terms of no more than two to three years.
Mirziyoyev encouraged the organizations to hold congresses, elect new leaders and begin internal reforms.
Reflecting on the importance of the medical profession, the president recalled the words of Uzbek intellectual Abdurauf Fitrat: "Every field that serves humanity is sacred, but the one that serves human health is even greater."
The president also announced the establishment of a national community called Medical Innovators.
The platform will bring together students, young doctors, scientists, experienced mentors and Uzbek professionals working abroad.
Mirziyoyev expressed confidence that talented young people entering medicine could become leading doctors, scientists and inventors.
He said the government's responsibility was to identify such talent and create conditions for young professionals to realize their ambitions.
During the meeting, healthcare workers were invited to present their proposals and initiatives.
Relevant government agencies were instructed to work with industry representatives to implement the ideas raised.
Concluding the meeting, Mirziyoyev urged medical professionals to continuously assess how they could improve their contribution to public health.
"I ask just one thing: let every medical worker ask themselves, 'What have I done today for people's health that is better than what I did yesterday?' If each of us works while constantly seeking an answer to this question, major changes will take place both in our healthcare system and in the health of our people," the president said.
