President Tokayev Reviews Healthcare Development and Reform Plans with Health Minister
Astana, The Gulf Observer: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on Tuesday met with Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova to discuss the current state of Kazakhstan’s healthcare system and its future development prospects, the Akorda presidential press service said.
During the meeting, the president was briefed on key medical and demographic indicators. Alnazarova reported a steady decline in overall and infant mortality, which has decreased by 15.3 percent. She also noted that Kazakhstan has achieved the World Health Organization’s target indicators for reducing premature mortality from non-communicable diseases by 25 percent.
The head of state was informed about ongoing efforts to improve access to medical services, strengthen the primary healthcare system, expand screening programs, and modernize maternal and child health services.
As part of initiatives to develop oncology services, a Proton Therapy Center has been opened at the new Astana Oncology Center. In addition, two new PET/CT centers have been launched in Kyzylorda and Aktau, while expert endoscopy centers have been established across all regions of the country.
The minister also reported that the National Scientific Oncology Center and several regional healthcare facilities have been constructed to enhance the country’s medical infrastructure.
Special attention during the meeting was given to strengthening financial control within the Mandatory Social Health Insurance (MSHI) system. Measures include the automation of monitoring the targeted use of funds and the introduction of stricter requirements for medical service providers.
To implement the president’s directives, the Health Ministry is carrying out systematic work to create a Unified Digital Healthcare Infrastructure, including consolidating fragmented information systems into the E-Densaulyq ecosystem.
Alnazarova further noted that investment in Kazakhstan’s pharmaceutical industry has increased 2.3 times over the past two years, while exports of pharmaceutical products have grown 1.9 times. Six investment agreements have been concluded to produce more than 400 types of medicines, with a total value of 316.3 billion tenge.
The president was also informed about measures to strengthen the sector’s human resources potential and improve social support for medical workers.
At the conclusion of the meeting, President Tokayev set several tasks aimed at improving the quality of medical services, strengthening financial discipline, enhancing personnel training, accelerating healthcare digitalization, and developing the domestic pharmaceutical industry.
