Healthcare - The Times Of Central Asia

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Transplantation

Uzbekistan Performs First Simultaneous Liver-Kidney Transplant

Uzbekistan has performed its first simultaneous liver and kidney transplant on a single patient. The operation was carried out at the National Medical Center, the Zamon news program reported. The procedure marks a further expansion of transplant medicine in Uzbekistan, where hospitals have introduced increasingly complex liver and kidney procedures in recent years. The patient, a woman from Pakhtachi district in Samarkand region, had suffered from liver disease for eight years. After contracting hepatitis C, she developed cirrhosis and later kidney failure. For the past four years, she had regularly undergone hemodialysis, a procedure that filters the blood and partially replaces kidney function. She had previously been advised to seek transplantation abroad, including in India, but the procedure did not go ahead because no suitable donor was found and her family could not cover the cost. Uzbek doctors concluded that transplanting only one of the organs would not be sufficient and decided to perform both procedures during a single operation. Simultaneous liver-kidney transplantation is used in patients with severe disease affecting both organs and is significantly more complex than a single-organ transplant. Doctors must not only perform two transplants during the same operation but also closely monitor the function of both organs afterward. Transplant medicine in Uzbekistan has advanced markedly in recent years. The country now performs both liver and kidney transplants, including procedures that until recently would often have required treatment abroad. In April 2026, doctors at the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center for Nephrology and Kidney Transplantation carried out a kidney transplant between a donor and recipient with incompatible blood groups. Before the operation, antibodies that could cause rejection were removed from the recipient’s blood. Pediatric transplantation is also developing. In December 2025, Uzbekistan performed its first liver transplant on a seven-month-old infant at the National Children’s Medical Center. The child’s mother was the donor. Access to post-transplant treatment has also expanded. Transplant recipients under medical follow-up in Uzbekistan are entitled to free immunosuppressive medicines needed to prevent rejection of the transplanted organ. Regulations also set out procedures for preparing living donors and recipients for surgery, as well as rehabilitation and subsequent medical monitoring. The latest operation adds another highly complex transplant option to those now available domestically. For patients with simultaneous severe liver and kidney disease, treatment abroad is no longer the only option. Hepatitis C, which led to cirrhosis in this patient, can remain without noticeable symptoms for years. Chronic infection can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer. According to the World Health Organization, modern direct-acting antiviral medicines can cure more than 95% of people with hepatitis C.

Healthcare

Kazakhstan’s Al-Farabi University Joins Central Asia’s First Flying Hospital Project

Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) has joined a project to create what Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education described as Central Asia’s first flying hospital, a specialized medical aircraft intended to provide healthcare in remote parts of the region. A launch ceremony was held in Almaty last week for the Central Asian Flying Hospital Mission for Ophthalmology and ENT Care. The project uses a C909 aircraft and is being implemented under the global Air Silk Road of Health initiative. The initiative involves KazNU, the Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, and the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). COMAC has developed a specialized medical aircraft using the C909 regional jet platform. Passenger versions of the aircraft can carry between 78 and 97 passengers, depending on configuration, while extended-range versions can fly up to 3,700 kilometers. The medical version has a flexible cabin that can be reconfigured for medical teams and emergency care in remote areas. It can also be used for patient evacuation. The aircraft presented in Almaty will provide ophthalmology and ear, nose, and throat services. It is equipped with an operating room and telemedicine systems. It also uses artificial intelligence technology to diagnose eye diseases. The platform is intended to support care from screening and diagnosis through surgery and rehabilitation. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Science and Higher Education said the project is being implemented for the first time in Kazakhstan and Central Asia. During the presentation, KazNU and the Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University signed a cooperation agreement to develop medical education and research, as well as professional training. A multilateral agreement was also signed to expand cooperation in ophthalmology between China and Central Asian countries. “The C909 flying hospital mission will give new momentum to cooperation between Kazakhstan and China in medicine, science, and higher education, expanding opportunities for academic mobility, research, and the introduction of innovative medical technologies,” said Bakytzhan Omarov, a board member at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. The Air Silk Road of Health project is expected to help introduce advanced medical technologies and support joint research. It is also intended to expand access to high-tech healthcare in Central Asia. The initiative comes as Kazakhstan seeks to expand its scientific and medical research infrastructure. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that Kazakhstan opened Central Asia’s first brain research institute this summer.

Healthcare

Tokayev Says Kazakhstan Offers Healthcare Benefits Unavailable in Some Western Countries

Kazakhstan provides its citizens with a range of social guarantees that, according to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, are unavailable even in some of the world’s most developed countries. Tokayev made the remarks during an awards ceremony for healthcare workers ahead of their professional holiday. Kazakhstan marks Medical Workers’ Day annually on the third Sunday of June, which falls on June 21 this year. Speaking at the ceremony, Tokayev said Kazakhstan remains a social state and that fulfilling social obligations is a constitutional responsibility of all branches of government. He noted that more than 9 trillion tenge, or almost $18 billion, was allocated from the national budget for social spending last year alone. “The implementation of the Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care Program is also a constitutional obligation. This is a unique program with no equivalent abroad, at least in terms of the scale of free medical services provided,” Tokayev said. He also pointed to maternity benefits as another example. “Women in Kazakhstan receive three years of maternity leave with payments and job security. These are unique conditions for young mothers. I worked in the West, particularly in Switzerland, and studied their system. Such arrangements do not exist there or in other Western countries,” he said. Tokayev added that Kazakhstan is developing as a regional center for medical tourism, citing high treatment standards and competitive pricing. Earlier this month, Tourism and Sports Minister Yerbol Myrzabosynov reported that about 80,000 foreign patients had received medical care in Kazakhstan. Tokayev linked much of the sector’s progress to accelerated digitalization in healthcare. “Kazakhstan has actively begun introducing advanced technologies across all sectors, including medicine. This has given a new impulse to the development of our healthcare system,” he said. According to the president, the use of digital technologies has reduced diagnostic times by four times and increased the detection rate of malignant tumors by 30%. Artificial intelligence tools are now assisting doctors in making complex clinical decisions. More than 1,800 medical institutions across the country have switched to digital systems, while the integration of healthcare information platforms has reduced administrative costs by up to 40%, he said. Tokayev also highlighted the government’s efforts to improve the social standing of healthcare workers. He said state support for medical professionals has increased seven times over the past three years, with wages rising gradually. This year, Kazakhstan allocated 33 billion tenge, or about $67.4 million, for salary increases and additional support measures. “These initiatives have helped stabilize the staffing of the healthcare system,” Tokayev said. “New specialized scientific institutes, multidisciplinary hospitals, modern clinics, and perinatal centers are being launched in the capital and the regions. The government must now carry out a large-scale renovation of the entire healthcare infrastructure and modernize its material and technical base.” As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, Kazakhstan opened Central Asia’s first Brain Research Institute this summer. Tokayev also announced last autumn that science cities would be established in Almaty and Kurchatov, with nuclear medicine among the planned research...

Healthcare

Turkmenistan Works With WHO on Healthcare Upgrades

Turkmenistan and the World Health Organization went through a delicate period during the pandemic, when the Turkmen government said there had been no COVID-19 cases in the country. The global health agency didn’t publicly challenge the claim, which was met with widespread international skepticism. While Turkmenistan retains many of the tight controls on information that were in place at the height of the pandemic, its relationship with the World Health Organization, or WHO, has evolved into one of closer cooperation aimed at bringing parts of the country´s health system into line with international practices. In the latest initiative, WHO experts and laboratory specialists in Turkmenistan held an emergency planning workshop in Ashgabat this month, according to the health agency. The May 19-23 event focused on topics including emergency planning and the safe transport of infectious substances. “By investing in expertise and preparedness, Turkmenistan continues to strengthen its preparedness for public health emergencies,” the World Health Organization said on Instagram. Since the COVID-19 crisis, WHO specialists have also visited Turkmenistan to help with its pandemic planning and preparedness, in just one element of a broader plan to modernize the health system of one of the most closed countries in the world. Even today, the impact of the pandemic in Turkmenistan is not fully known because of limited public information. At the time, authorities implemented measures such as obligatory masking, restrictions on travel, and the closure of borders. There were, however, reports of people in Turkmenistan suffering symptoms similar to those seen during the spread of COVID-19 elsewhere. Other countries in Central Asia, meanwhile, confirmed that they had outbreaks. Some analysts speculated that a delegation that visited Turkmenistan during the pandemic didn’t directly address the government’s zero-case claim because it wanted to avoid any public fallout and was focused on maintaining access to the country and its health officials. Dr. Karen Nahapetyan, laboratory specialist at the WHO regional office for Europe, guided the Ashgabat workshop this month, according to the turkmenportal.com website. Nahapetyan recently worked on the international response to the Andes hantavirus outbreak on the cruise ship MV Hondius that killed three people. While technical coordination between WHO and Turkmenistan is advancing, some foreign advisories warn of the limits of the country’s healthcare system. The British Foreign Office advises travelers that it’s usually best to avoid anything other than basic or emergency care in Turkmenistan, especially outside Ashgabat.

Medical Workers

Kazakhstan Faces Growing Shortage of Doctors and Medical Personnel

The availability of medical personnel in Kazakhstan continues to decline amid rapid population growth and mounting pressure on the healthcare system, particularly in the country’s regions, according to a study published by the analytical portal Ranking.kz. Analysts say the shortage of doctors and mid-level medical staff is becoming a key structural problem facing Kazakhstan’s healthcare sector, affecting access to treatment, timely diagnosis, and the overall quality of medical services. As of the first quarter of 2026, Kazakhstan had slightly more than 57,000 doctors. While the total number has remained almost unchanged compared to the previous year, the number of physicians per capita has continued to fall. In the first quarter of 2025, Kazakhstan had 28.2 doctors per 10,000 residents. A year later, that figure had declined to 27.9. Analysts attribute the decline mainly to rapid population growth, while the number of medical specialists has remained largely stagnant. Another major issue is the sharp regional imbalance in healthcare staffing. Only six of Kazakhstan’s 20 regions have doctor-to-population ratios above the national average. The highest concentration of physicians was recorded in Astana, with 41.8 doctors per 10,000 residents, roughly 50% above the national average. Almaty followed with 36.7 doctors per 10,000 people, while the Karaganda Region reported 34.7. At the other end of the scale is the Mangystau region, with only 20.2 doctors per 10,000 residents. Low staffing levels were also recorded in the Zhambyl, Kostanay, and Akmola regions. By international standards, Kazakhstan lags significantly behind several neighboring countries in physician availability. According to Ranking.kz, Belarus has 47.2 doctors per 10,000 residents, Russia has 51.1, and Georgia has 56.4. In some European countries, the figure exceeds 60 doctors per 10,000 people. The staffing problem extends beyond physicians and also affects mid-level medical personnel, including nurses, paramedics, midwives, and other healthcare workers. In the first quarter of 2026, the number of mid-level medical workers fell from 77.9 to 76 per 10,000 residents, representing a 2.4% decline compared to the previous year. The figures point to a widening gap between population growth and staffing capacity, echoing the broader medical personnel shortage that The Times of Central Asia previously reported. Major cities continue to attract more doctors, while many regions face weaker access to care, longer waiting times, and heavier workloads.

Healthcare

Tajikistan Receives Nearly $1.9 Million in U.S. Medical Equipment

Tajikistan has received nearly $1.9 million worth of medical equipment under a healthcare cooperation program with the United States, with the main focus on improving emergency care, supporting maternity hospitals, and reducing infant mortality. According to Tajikistan’s Ministry of Health, the equipment was delivered as part of the Global Health Supply Chain Program - Procurement and Supply Management (GHSC-PSM). The total value of the shipment exceeded $1.87 million. The handover ceremony took place in Dushanbe and was attended by First Deputy Minister of Health and Social Protection Salomuddin Yusufi and Carson Relitz Rocker, chargé d’affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan. Officials said particular emphasis would be placed on equipping healthcare facilities with oxygen delivery systems and neonatal resuscitation equipment. Authorities expect the new supplies to improve the quality of emergency medical care and reduce health risks for mothers and infants. Part of the equipment has already been installed in five maternity hospitals and 11 additional medical facilities across the country. Representatives of the Health Ministry said the new equipment is especially important for intensive care and resuscitation units, where timely oxygen delivery and specialized care directly affect patient survival rates. They described the transfer as another example of long-term U.S. support for Tajikistan’s healthcare system. According to Yusufi, medical cooperation between the U.S. and Tajikistan has continued for many years and spans a wide range of areas, including equipment supplies, efforts to combat infectious diseases, sanitary and epidemiological safety, healthcare infrastructure modernization, and the training of medical personnel. Authorities in Tajikistan also expressed hope for further expansion of cooperation following the signing of a new memorandum of understanding between the country’s Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan.