On November 9, a video-selector meeting was held under the chairmanship of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev to analyze the results of ongoing reforms to develop the health care system, reach regional residents with quality medical care, strengthen the material and technical base of medical institutions, and identify future priorities.

The head of our state noted that the main goal of all reforms is to improve people's lives, an important place in this is occupied by high-quality medicine.

Over the past two years, 50 decrees, resolutions and orders of the President, more than 70 resolutions and orders of the Cabinet of Ministers have been adopted in this area.

6 new scientific and practical medical centers were organized, their total number reached 16. In the regions, 10 branches of the centers were opened to create even greater amenities for the population. In the district and city hospitals, 306 new specialized departments were organized, 1.2 thousand emergency rooms.

In general, this year from the State budget for medicine was allocated 40 percent more funds compared with 2017. At the meeting, it was noted that next year it was planned to allocate 30 percent more funds to the sphere than this year.

The recent presidential decree “On Measures to Strengthen Material Incentives for Employees of State Medical Institutions and Healthcare Authorities” was another important step in this direction. In accordance with it, the wages of medical workers will be increased by 20 percent from December 1 of the current year and another 15 percent from April 1, 2019.

Many decrees and decrees have been adopted, ample opportunities have been created for the sphere, and current issues have been resolved. However, the expected results from the health system are not visible. Especially in districts, remote settlements, residents do not feel the effect of serious and radical changes in medical care, Shavkat Mirziyoyev said.

It was noted that the admission of more than 45,000 appeals regarding medicine to the President’s Virtual Reception Office over the past period of the current year indicates that there are still many problems in the field.

So, the level of material and technical base and the availability of qualified personnel of primary health care institutions, district central hospitals do not meet the requirements. As a result, patients are forced to incur large expenses when arriving in the city of Tashkent or traveling abroad.

In this regard, the meeting noted the need for timely identification and solution of problems in the medical system, a complete re-examination of the state of affairs in the regions, covering both rural medical stations and family clinics, and central medical institutions.

It is pointed out the need to strengthen the interaction between the republican, regional, district and rural levels of medical care. At the same time, first of all, preventive work and medical examinations in communities will be well organized. Patients, if necessary, will be sent to the district and regional centers. And district medical associations will be treated on their own and refer seriously ill patients to regional and republican institutions. In turn, the republican specialized scientific and practical medical centers will implement a unified methodological, technological, therapeutic and preventive policy in their profile and help strengthen the health of the population.

At the meeting, attention was paid to the protection of motherhood and childhood. It was entrusted to deeply analyze the factors of maternal and child mortality, to develop specific measures for their elimination.

It was noted that the work on the prevention of non-communicable diseases is not up to standard. Criticized the activities of a number of relevant specialized centers.

In some regions, work on the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases is unsatisfactory. In particular, despite a decrease in the incidence rate of hepatitis and pulmonary tuberculosis in the Republic over the past period of the current year to 20 percent, in some areas of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, Bukhara, Navoi, Kashkadarya, Namangan, Syrdarya and Djizak regions remain unfavorable.

In this regard, measures to address the existing shortcomings were discussed, after examining the state of the material and technical base and treatment at the republican specialized scientific and practical medical centers, AIDS prevention, the development and implementation of legal mechanisms for the compulsory examination of people who returned after working abroad was considered.

At the meeting, attention was paid to the further expansion of the network of private medical institutions. It was noted that in our country there are great opportunities for the development of all areas of private medicine, the provision of medical services not only to compatriots, but also to citizens of neighboring countries.

Therefore, the responsible persons were tasked with expanding the network of private medical institutions, creating medical hubs in such large cities as Tashkent, Samarkand, Andijan and others.

The most low-cost and effective way to prevent diseases is to promote a healthy lifestyle and proper nutrition. Unfortunately, due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition, half of the population of Uzbekistan is overweight, 46 percent have high blood cholesterol, and 31 percent have high blood pressure.

In this regard, it is pointed out the need to strengthen the prevention of diseases through the promotion of a healthy lifestyle and a culture of proper nutrition among the population.

The video-conference meeting also discussed the directions of development of medicine in the medium and long term. The President gave instructions on the elaboration of a draft concept for the development of the health care system in Uzbekistan until 2025.

It was noted that the current estimated method of financing the sphere is outdated, medical institutions are funded based not on the number of treated patients, but on the number of beds. Therefore, it is charged, taking into account modern requirements and foreign experience, to introduce as an experiment in one medical association of each region of the country financing based on the number of people treated in inpatient conditions.

Today, in all developed countries, a system of compulsory health insurance has been introduced, which makes it possible to reduce budget expenditures and improve the quality of medical services.

The meeting noted the need for the phased introduction of the compulsory health insurance system in our country from 2021, the development of relevant laws and regulations with the involvement of consultants from South Korea, Singapore, Germany and other countries.

Measures have been identified for the development of public-private partnership in medicine, equipping some medical institutions with high-tech equipment based on this mechanism, and granting them full financial independence.

Particular attention is paid to the reform of medical education. Instructions have been given for opening branches of prestigious foreign educational institutions, strengthening the integration between research institutes and specialized medical centers.

On the issues discussed at the meeting, the information of the responsible managers was heard.

Source: President.uz