Proposals in the healthcare sector discussed

Proposals in the healthcare sector discussed

On May 21, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev got acquainted with a presentation on the activities and new proposals of the Center for Healthcare Projects.

Education and medicine are the most essential and comprehensive social spheres. To accelerate reforms and increase efficiency in these areas, corresponding project offices were created.

In particular, the Center for Healthcare Projects, organized in accordance with the Presidential Resolution of January 22 this year, developed proposals to improve primary healthcare and the emergency medical care system, introduce state health insurance, and streamline the procurement of medicines.

These areas were comprehensively analyzed in the presentation.

In Uzbekistan, much attention is paid to the medical field, directly affecting quality of life. Over the past seven years, the funding for the healthcare system has increased from 5.9 trillion to 33.5 trillion UZS, that is, six times. Hospitals are being equipped with modern equipment, and new ones are being built. Screening examinations are carried out locally to bring medicine closer to the people.

As the analysis shows, in this area, only 30 percent of the population’s appeals are resolved at the primary level. Some diseases are treated using outdated methods, and nurses can only perform a limited range of tasks.

Based on international requirements, treatment methods for 7 of the most common diseases today, such as hypertension, coronary heart disease, chronic lung diseases, bronchial asthma, diabetes mellitus, hepatitis, and others, have been updated. By the end of the year, another 300 clinical protocols will be revised. Functions such as ordering routine patient tests and administering non-drug therapy will be transferred from doctors to nurses. The routing of patients will be streamlined in clinics, reducing the waiting time in line for an appointment.

As is known, three years ago, a health insurance system was introduced in Syrdarya region as an experiment. It identified many shortcomings in the sphere.

Due to insufficient digitalization of medical institutions, the insurance system does not function fully, and doctors spend a lot of time filling out reports.

In this regard, the task has been set to create a digitalization model of the sphere in Tashkent. For this purpose, all institutions will be equipped with new computers and technical means. By the end of the year, the Electronic Polyclinic and Electronic Hospital systems will be launched.

These measures will introduce state health insurance mechanisms in the capital in 2024. The system will be financed by general taxes paid by citizens, and no additional fees will be levied on the population.

Within the framework of health insurance:

– a guaranteed package of free medical services and medicines provided by the state will be introduced;

– a system will be organized to refer patients to specialized specialists or hospitals through assigned family doctors. Free medical services will be provided only if this order is observed;

– medicines within the guaranteed package will be provided free to the population through pharmacies based on an electronic prescription for treating the most common diseases.

During the analysis of the emergency medical care system, it was noted that the main problem is the lack of sorting of calls according to the severity of the disease.

In this regard, a decision was made to establish medical consultations for patients through emergency call centers. Teams of paramedics and pediatricians will be created this year in Tashkent and next year in other regions. System employees will be retrained in the specialties of consultant doctor, call triage operator, and paramedic.

At the presentation, special attention was also paid to the issue of creating a real need for medicines, purchasing them, and timely delivery to places. Instructions were given to improve the list of medicines and medical devices purchased based on direct contracts and the procurement process itself.

The Head of state emphasized the importance of disease prevention and increasing people’s sense of responsibility for their health through the widespread promotion of healthy lifestyle ideas.