President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed proposals for transforming the healthcare system and improving the quality of medical care on August 19, according to the presidential press service. The report states that the proposals stem from directives issued during a video conference on May 7.
Developed in conjunction with field experts, community representatives, and the private sector, the proposals address key areas for improvement.
Currently, republican institutions bear a significant burden. Thus, emphasis is placed on expanding services at the regional and district levels, bringing medical care closer to the population.
To this end, 1,500 clinical protocols will be adapted, and standard operating procedures will be developed. Clinical pathways for patients with the most common diseases will be fully implemented and digitized.
Notably, there has been an increase in hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and diabetes, leading to strokes and heart attacks. Eighty-five percent of those affected become disabled.
To address this, new protocols and approaches to the prevention and treatment of these diseases are proposed at the primary care level, leveraging artificial intelligence. ECG telemetry, telemedicine, thrombolysis therapy, stenting, and thromboextraction will also be implemented. Furthermore, focus will be given to educating the public on the early signs of stroke.
To improve the treatment of neurological diseases and stroke, a National Medical Center for Neurology and Neurorehabilitation will be established. A modern 250-bed facility will be constructed in Tashkent, with plans to perform over 3,000 operations annually.
The center, along with medical university clinics in Samarkand and Bukhara, will be equipped with modern technology. With Japanese support, an early rehabilitation service based on international standards will be introduced. 150 medical professionals will receive advanced training abroad. The project will receive $150 million in funding.
These measures are aimed at reducing disability and incapacity.
A proposal was made to map and digitize the current healthcare system to develop a master plan for organizing medical institutions with a unified approach. This will include developing and implementing new construction standards, revising 210 sanitary norms, and creating standard designs for polyclinics and hospitals.
Currently, public trust in laboratory results is low, and a weak laboratory service complicates disease prevention and treatment. At the district level, 2,800 polyclinics are served by 1,500 laboratories. Much of the equipment is outdated, and some tests are performed manually.
To remedy this, it is proposed to improve laboratory operations by creating 198 centralized laboratories by the end of 2030, establishing internal and external quality control, and digitizing all processes. The number of free tests will be increased.
Measures will be taken to develop professional and higher medical education.
It is proposed to transform the Academy of Nurses into an Academy of Professional Medicine at the Tashkent State Medical University.
With international support, joint training programs and international certification for nurses based on the NCLEX exam will be developed and implemented. The admission quota for higher education nursing programs will be gradually increased.
Additionally, all training programs will be accredited according to international standards, an integrated education program and a one-year family medicine internship will be implemented, a two-stage knowledge assessment system will be introduced, and the teacher-to-student ratio will be increased. More time will be allocated for students’ practical training “at the bedside.”
A medical worker registration system will be phased in.
Another area of focus is improving public health. To this end, it is proposed to reorient the activities of the Committee on Sanitary and Epidemiological Welfare and Public Health towards preventive measures to prevent non-communicable diseases, maternal and child mortality, and injuries by developing a national program for the prevention of non-communicable diseases.
The issue of improving the blood service was also addressed.
It is proposed to adopt a program for 2026-2030 to achieve 100 percent blood supply, establish blood product manufacturing, and ensure blood safety by implementing virus inactivation and irradiation practices.
These measures will reduce mortality from bleeding and ensure blood availability.
The active development of the pharmaceutical market has increased its volume to over $2 billion. Reforms aim to provide the population with quality, safe, and effective medicines.
In this regard, it is planned to introduce a procedure for recognizing drug registration based on WHO-recommended criteria, bioequivalence testing of generics, a differentiated system for registering medical devices based on their safety class, and a notification procedure for commencing medical device sales.
Contract manufacturing and technology transfer will be established, and modern pharmacovigilance mechanisms will be implemented.
The President approved the proposals and signed the relevant documents for their implementation, tasking officials with ensuring the systematic and high-quality execution of the objectives.