Medical university graduates in Kyrgyzstan may only be allowed to work in private clinics if they have at least five years of experience in state hospitals. A corresponding bill was approved in the first reading by the Zhogorku Kenesh’s Social Policy Committee.
Health Minister Erkin Checheybaev explained that an amendment is being proposed to the Law «On the Protection of Citizens’ Health», stipulating that «the right to engage in private medical practice in certain types of medical activity shall be granted only to individuals with at least five years of working experience in state healthcare institutions.» The Ministry of Health will determine the list of medical activities to which the rule applies.
According to the minister, the measure aims to address the shortage of medical personnel, strengthen the healthcare workforce, and ensure quality medical services for the population.
Currently, Kyrgyzstan faces a shortage of 6,338 doctors and 7,880 mid-level specialists. The most needed are family doctors, therapists, pediatricians, anesthesiologists-resuscitators, and obstetrician-gynecologists. The main reasons for the shortage are low salaries in state hospitals and high workloads. Each year, more than 2,000 interns and residents graduate, 400 of them on a state-funded basis.
«But only 50 percent go to state hospitals, while the rest join private clinics or leave abroad. In fact, we are just adding two years, since five years already include internship and residency, which students currently complete in state hospitals,» Erkin Checheybaev said.
He emphasized that the approach will be differentiated, meaning not all graduates will be barred from starting in private clinics. He also reminded that until 2014, medical graduates were required to work five years in state hospitals, and after that rule was abolished, many regions were left without doctors.
