Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.uz) — Uzbekistan plans to link doctors' and nurses' salaries to performance indicators and patient satisfaction assessments from 2027, while introducing a state registration system for medical and pharmaceutical professionals that will become mandatory in 2030.
President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced the measures on 27 October during a meeting with healthcare and pharmaceutical industry workers.
The registration system will begin operating on 1 July 2027, with additional salary payments planned for registered professionals.
"In a sector dealing with people's health, there must be clear procedures and strict oversight, and only professionals should be allowed to work in this field," Mirziyoyev said.
Registration of healthcare workers and salary supplements
The procedure for state registration of medical and pharmaceutical professionals was approved under Government Resolution No. 577 of 19 October 2026.
Registration will be voluntary from 1 July 2027 until 1 January 2030.
During this period, specialists will be able to obtain registration by passing a special examination or automatically upon receiving a professional qualification category.
From 2030, only registered professionals will be permitted to practise medicine or pharmacy in their respective specialties.
Registration will remain valid for five years, after which it must be renewed.
The Centre for Qualification Assessment of Medical and Pharmaceutical Workers has been designated as the authorized body responsible for the system.
Specialists holding academic degrees and having at least 20 years of professional experience in their specialty may qualify for registration without taking the special examination, provided they meet the established requirements.
Applications will be accepted through public service centres, the Unified Portal of Interactive Public Services or a specialized medical platform.
Registered doctors and pharmacists will be eligible for salary supplements of 7 million soums, while registered nurses will receive 3.5 million soums.
Doctors' salaries to be linked to patient assessments
From 2027, Uzbekistan plans to introduce mechanisms allowing patients to evaluate the performance of hospitals and outpatient clinics.
The assessment system will cover healthcare institutions at national, regional and district levels.
Under the proposed approach, doctors' and nurses' salaries will be linked to key performance indicators (KPIs), with patient satisfaction serving as the principal criterion.
However, the authorities have not yet disclosed how patient feedback will be collected, how performance indicators will be calculated or what proportion of salaries will depend on assessment results.
The reforms will also affect the management of specialized medical institutions.
From 2027, directors of 26 specialized medical centres are expected to move to annual contracts.
Each director will be assigned specific responsibilities for introducing new treatment methods, improving the qualifications of primary healthcare workers and applying scientific research in clinical practice.
Specialists from foreign university hospitals will be involved in evaluating the performance of the centres.
At the end of each year, directors will report publicly on their results, and contract renewals will depend on their performance.
Government to finance training for 130,000 healthcare workers
Another component of the reform involves changes to the professional development system for healthcare workers.
The government plans to expand the participation of private training providers and allow medical professionals to choose where they undertake additional training.
The state will cover professional development expenses for employees of primary healthcare facilities and district medical institutions.
According to estimates presented at the meeting, the measure will allow 130,000 healthcare workers in districts to save a combined 100 billion soums annually.
"Medical workers must constantly improve themselves and keep pace with innovation," Mirziyoyev said.
Ten AI systems to be introduced in healthcare
Uzbekistan also plans to launch ten artificial intelligence systems in healthcare from 2027.
The technologies will be introduced in medical fields including cardiology, hepatology, ophthalmology and haematology.
According to the president, the new solutions will support remote patient monitoring, disease detection through speech analysis and monitoring of medicine safety.
Regional competitions will also be organized to recognize the Best IT Operator and Best Digital Medicine Doctor.
Winners will receive cash prizes of 100 million soums each.
