01/12/11 - President signs resolution on deepening reforms in healthcare

Дата публикации: Jan 15, 2012 2:4:3 PM

President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov signed a resolution on 28 November on measures to deepen the reforms of the healthcare sector.

The document states that thanks to reforms in the healthcare system over the years of independence of Uzbekistan an integrated organizational structure of providing medical care to the population has been created. It covers all levels – from rural health units providing primary health care, district (city) medical associations, and regional multi-profile medical centers to the national specialized medical centers providing sophisticated medical services.

During the past 10 years, over USD 750 million of budget funds, loans and grants have been invested in the modernization of healthcare facilities and their provision with modern laboratory, diagnostic and therapeutic equipment. Expenditures for healthcare have increased 3.6 times since early 1990s and now comprise about 4% of the country’s gross domestic product and more than 15.7% of the state budget.

As a result of these measures, life expectancy has increased from 67 to 73 years compared to 1990, and maternal and infant mortality has decreased 3.1 and 3.2 times respectively. The overall level of diseases like tuberculosis, hepatitis and infectious diseases has decreased significantly.

However, the President’s resolution notes, the quality of public health services, particularly at the local levels, and the state of the material and technical base of the district and regional medical associations still do not meet the increased modern requirements. The system of management of the national specialized medical centers requires cardinal improvement, with introduction of the experience of the leading international medical centers, as well as advanced forms of organization and motivation of the employees.

In order to further deepen the reforms of the healthcare system, improve the efficiency of medical establishments to provide high-quality services in accordance with modern requirements and standards, as well as introduce advanced forms and methods of management and organization of work within the healthcare system of Uzbekistan, the resolution outlines a number of directions of reforms of the system in the years 2012 through 2015.

Among these direction is ensuring wide availability and high quality of primary medical care to the population, especially in rural areas, and cardinal improvement of the efficiency of work of the diagnostic and ambulatory care establishments working in disease prevention and health protection.

It is also planned to optimize and restructure the network of medical facilities and hospital beds at the district and city levels, to improve the management of the national specialized medical centers, to increase the efficiency and quality of emergency medical services, to improve the system of healthcare of mothers and children, to strengthen the preventive measures against viral and infectious diseases, as well as socially significant diseases, and to put in order the operations and of the private healthcare institutions.

During 2012-2014, 102 additional rural medical units should be built in remote rural areas, in order to provide fast and convenient access of the population to primary health care. Besides, modernization of 100 regional medical associations is planned. In 2012-2013, the republican specialized medical centers will be corporatized, with 51% of their shares remaining with the state and 49% being allocated to the personnel.

UzA