As part of the directives of Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set out in the Address to the Nation “A Just Kazakhstan: Law and Order, Economic Growth, and Public Optimism,” the Government, through the Ministry of Health, continues its work to improve the quality of medical care, develop infrastructure, strengthen human resources, and advance the digitalization of the healthcare system.

Thanks to the measures being implemented, there is a steady positive trend in key population health indicators. As of October 1 of this year, overall mortality decreased by 2.7%, and infant mortality declined by 20.2% compared to the same period last year.

Over 600 Healthcare Facilities Built in Three Years

Kazakhstan continues to actively develop its medical infrastructure — hospitals, clinics, and first aid stations are being constructed and modernized. Over the past three years, 633 healthcare facilities have been commissioned, including the National Oncology Center and the Emergency Medicine Center in Astana, as well as the Infectious Diseases Center in Almaty.

By the end of this year, construction will be completed on a multidisciplinary hospital in Ridder, a Hematology Center in Ust-Kamenogorsk, and an ambulance station in Aktau.

The implementation of the National Project “Modernization of Rural Healthcare” is also ongoing. Within its framework, 601 primary healthcare facilities have already been built, and 54 more are scheduled for completion by the end of the year. Additionally, 32 district hospitals are being upgraded to multidisciplinary central district hospitals. Since the start of the project, eight hospitals have been modernized — in Temirtau, Balkhash, Zhanaarka (Ulytau region), Urzhar (Abai region), Shuskoye, Merke, Talas (Zhambyl region), and Beineu (Mangystau region).

From January to October, investment in fixed capital in the healthcare sector amounted to 214.8 billion tenge, or 89% of the planned 241 billion tenge.

Doctor Shortage Reduced by Nearly One-Fourth

One of the key priorities is training and supporting medical personnel. In 2025, medical universities across the country graduated 10,500 specialists, 34% of whom were assigned to rural medical facilities — almost twice as many as the previous year.

Taking into account regional needs, more than 5,000 educational grants were allocated this year. Since October 2024, one-time payments of 8.5 million tenge have been provided to 254 doctors working in rural areas across 16 critically understaffed specialties. In 2025, an additional 105 specialists received support.

These measures have reduced the shortage of doctors nationwide by 19% and the shortage of mid-level medical staff by 13%. In rural areas, the personnel deficit decreased by 17%.

As of September 1, internship training has begun in six major specialties (including therapy, pediatrics, and surgery) and residency training in 14 pediatric specialties.

To improve training quality, undergraduate medical programs were revised to include 10 additional credits in core disciplines, integrating international standards into the curriculum.

For the first time, a dual-degree program between Karaganda Medical University and Kazan Federal University was launched on September 1, enrolling 70 students. Discussions are also underway to open a branch of the Pakistan Medical University.

To protect healthcare workers, a new article has been introduced into the Criminal Code to criminalize attacks on medical personnel. In cooperation with the Ministry of Internal Affairs, 152 police posts have been installed in healthcare institutions. Additionally, 98% of public and 76% of private medical organizations have concluded professional liability insurance contracts worth a total of 3.1 billion tenge.

Pharmaceutical Supply and Industry Development

To increase transparency in drug pricing, the mechanism for setting maximum prices has been revised. Excess costs have been eliminated, and the prices of generics have been reduced to 30% of the cost of original drugs. For the top 20 high-cost drugs, expected savings amount to about 12 billion tenge. Overall, the reduction in maximum prices under the Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care (GVFMC) and the Compulsory Social Health Insurance (CSHI) systems will reach about 19%, and up to 30% in wholesale and retail segments.

The registration timeline for medicines has been shortened to 100 working days, and for products from countries with high regulatory reputations (USA, EU, UK, Japan), to 15 days under the “Single Window” principle.

Domestic pharmaceutical production is actively growing. By 2029, the share of locally produced medicines is expected to reach 50%. To date, 210 manufacturers are registered in Kazakhstan, including 43 that produce pharmaceutical products. Last year, production increased by 21.8%, investment doubled, and exports grew by 32.9%.

A total of 90 long-term contracts have been signed with local enterprises, along with three agreements with major global pharmaceutical companies — Pfizer, Hoffmann-La Roche, and AstraZeneca. Nine investment projects worth nearly 400 billion tenge are currently under consideration. The annual growth rate of the pharmaceutical market is estimated at 10–13%.

Digitalization of Healthcare: The Largest Number of Automated Public Services

Work continues on the creation of a Unified State Medical Information System. The “Digital Document” and “Face ID” patient identification projects have been launched in all healthcare facilities. To create a transparent and fair system of billing and payment, the “Unified Payment System for Medical Services” has been implemented across all regions.

Medical certificates are being gradually converted to electronic format. The automation rate of public services in healthcare has reached 87.3%.

To improve safety, a pilot project introducing video badges for ambulance staff has been launched in Astana and Almaty. A unified medical data storage system is being developed to consolidate all patient records.

As a result, Kazakhstan is consistently building a modern, sustainable healthcare system based on quality, innovation, and accessibility. This large-scale modernization effort will continue in the coming years.

#Healthcare #Infrastructural development #President's instruction

• 
• 
• 
•