Kazakhstan to Raise Healthcare Salaries and Strengthen Legal Protections Amid Modernization Drive

Astana, The Gulf Observer: Kazakhstan will increase salaries for healthcare workers and enhance their legal protections as part of a comprehensive modernization programme aimed at improving access to and quality of medical services, 1st Vice Minister of Healthcare Timur Sultangaziyev announced, according to primeminister.kz.

He noted that, with the support of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, state healthcare spending has nearly tripled in recent years, reaching 3 trillion tenge in 2025. This funding boost has enabled the expansion of medical services, modernization of infrastructure, and upgrading of medical equipment nationwide.

Several major national facilities have been inaugurated, including the National Oncology Center and the Emergency Medicine Center in Astana, as well as the National Center for Infectious Diseases in Almaty. The rural healthcare modernization project is nearing completion, with over 650 medical facilities built in rural areas, helping narrow the gap between urban and rural care.

Vice Minister Sultangaziyev highlighted that tariff policies have been revised for the first time in years, with increased rates for maternity and pediatric care, and a stronger focus on prevention, early diagnosis, and service quality. Significant progress has been made in maternal and child health, oncology, and the introduction of advanced treatment methods previously available mainly abroad.

A new pharmaceutical policy has stabilized medicine supplies and optimized budget spending, while digitalization has become a strategic priority. The “eDensaulyq” ecosystem and AI-based tools have been introduced to support doctors and enhance the quality of care.

Sultangaziyev also reminded that Parliament approved amendments to strengthen protections for medical personnel, including introducing criminal liability for violence against doctors and ambulance staff and establishing professional liability insurance. As a result of social support measures, the shortage of doctors has decreased by 19%, nursing staff by 7%, and rural medical personnel by 16%.

Starting this year, salaries will be increased for healthcare workers in infectious disease services and emergency care, while penalties for violence against medical staff will be toughened. A new law improving the mandatory social health insurance system has also been adopted, transitioning to an insurance-based model and expanding coverage.

The Vice Minister emphasized the tangible outcomes of these measures: life expectancy in Kazakhstan is projected at 75.8 years, overall mortality has declined by 2.6%, infant mortality by 18%, and the country has climbed seven positions in the Human Development Index, strengthening its international standing.