Measures Taken After the Open Dialogue and Tasks for the Future Discussed
The President Shavkat Mirziyoyev inspected a new surgical complex built at the Republican Scientific Center for Emergency Medical Care. There are cardiac surgery, transplantation, neurovascular surgery, and resuscitation departments. They can provide high-tech medical care to almost 3,000 patients a year.
A videoconference dedicated to the work carried out in the healthcare system and the priorities for the future was held here.
As it is well-known, on March 18 this year, the President held an open dialogue with the medical workers. Today’s meeting has become a logical continuation of this dialogue.
The President touched upon the activities carried out in the sphere. In particular, 106 new family medical centers, polyclinics, and 1,000 makhalla (local neighborhood community area) medical centers have been established this year. It brings primary healthcare closer to 3,5 million people.
Based on the advanced foreign experience, a balance of the population’s need for guaranteed free medical services has been developed. An additional 3,600 nurses and obstetricians have been allocated to the medical teams.
The list of medicines provided free of charge by family doctors has increased from 45 to 70 items. The number of funds allocated for this increased to 3 times compared to last year.
Moreover, 820 primary medical institutions are provided with diagnostic equipment.
More than 19,000 day hospitals have been established in the family polyclinics. As a result, 740,000 residents got the opportunity to receive treatment in the makhalla itself.
In addition, 70% of the population over 40 years of age have been screened for early detection of heart disease and diabetes.
Three thousand and two hundred out of the 16 thousand patients in need of high-tech surgical care were treated in the regions and districts.
For the first time in the country, the contracts have been concluded with 29 private clinics under the order system.
The salaries of medical personnel have been raised to 30%. Differentiated bonuses and allowances for doctors were also introduced, depending on their performance and results.
In general, 28 trillion Uzbek soums have been allocated for medicine this year. This is 1,3 times more than last year.
The current issues in the regions were discussed at the meeting. In particular, it is noted that there are no medical centers in 272 makhallas.
As part of the «Rural Doctor» program, the list of remote areas has been expanded to 297.
One hundred and ninety one doctors started working based on this program. For example, the doctors from Ferghana, Samarkand and Khorezm went to work in Muynak. However, there are still 171 vacancies to be filled in remote villages.
Screening of the at-risk population over 40 is slow in some districts.
Another urgent problem of the primary link is the issue of the protection of motherhood and childhood. Until 2010, the annual birth rate in Uzbekistan was about 600 thousand, as well as last year this figure exceeded 950 thousand. In this regard, the need to increase the number of beds in maternity wards was emphasized.
On June 16 this year, the Presidential Resolution «On improving the system of providing emergency medical care to the population» was adopted. Due to this, it is set to reduce the time until the arrival of an ambulance to 3 times, and costs – by 25%.
This new system is being launched in Andijan, Jizzakh, Samarkand, and Surkhandarya. However, the construction work has not started in other regions.
It is noted that the work of the republican centers of endocrinology, cardiology, and surgery in the regions is unsatisfactory. Therefore, a proposal was put forward to conclude a tripartite agreement among 23 specialized centers, regions, and the ministry. At the same time, the centers will take on the tasks of early detection of diseases in the regions, high-tech treatment and prevention, regional khokims (governors) – to equip hospitals with high-tech equipment, and the ministry – to stimulate doctors and heads of centers who have shown good results in the regions.
There were also delays in equipping medical institutions with modern equipment.
The information of khokims and officials of the sphere on eliminating these shortcomings was considered at the meeting.
Heads of specialized centers and doctors made the proposals to improve the quality of treatment and prevention of diseases.
Based on this, the President set several tasks for the responsible persons.
In particular, the Ministry of Health was instructed to develop a three-year program to improve medical institutions’ material and technical base.
The instructions were given to establish medical centers in 300 makhallas this year, as well as next year to open and equip 140 family medical centers and polyclinics.
It was instructed to take the measures to gradually increase the number of beds in maternity hospitals, improve conditions in maternity hospitals, prevent birth defects, and provide mothers with medicines.
It was noted that new high-tech methods of treatment would be introduced in specialized centers, as well as 640 ambulances will be purchased.
The Cabinet of Ministers was instructed to prepare a draft resolution covering the issues of training and advanced training of nurses, encouraging their work, and improving living conditions.
