Up to 50 million soums in supplements for doctors with foreign experience: new support measures for medical workers

Announced support measures for medical workers

The President of Uzbekistan has announced a package of support measures for healthcare workers, reported the outlet Zamon.uz. Speaking about the value of a doctor's work, the head of state quoted Abdurauf Fitrat: 'Every field that serves a person is sacred, but the field that serves a person's health is even more majestic.'

Attracting doctors from abroad

The key innovation concerns fellow-countryman doctors who have gained experience in foreign clinics: they are to be attracted to hospitals in the country. 'We will bring them to our hospitals and launch a new system that will help them create their own school of medicine in the New Uzbekistan,' the President said. Such specialists will receive a monthly salary supplement of up to 50 million soums, and their workplaces will be equipped with modern equipment. They will be given the right to form their own teams — choosing doctors, assistants and nurses — and the costs of participating in prestigious conferences and exchanging experience with foreign colleagues will be covered. The work will begin with 26 specialized centers: next year, the director of each will be responsible for attracting 5–10 fellow-countryman doctors.

Payments for those working in remote regions and housing programs

A separate block of measures concerns personnel in remote regions: starting next year, the monthly supplement for all doctors there will rise from 2 million to 4.5 million soums, and those taking jobs in such regions will receive a one-time bonus of 50 million soums. The housing issue is being addressed in two directions: 50 billion soums have been allocated to partially cover mortgage loans for medical workers with at least 15 years of experience — next year, 1,000 medical workers will move into new housing. For young personnel, 25% of the down payment on a mortgage will be covered annually for 500 young medical workers.

What has been adopted and what remains a plan

The status of what was announced deserves attention: this is an announcement made by the head of state, not a description of rules already in force — the publications do not specify the timelines for adopting regulatory documents, apart from the 'starting next year' benchmark for supplements in remote regions and the personnel recruitment target for center directors. Also left outside the reports is how exactly the size of the supplement 'up to 50 million soums' for doctors with foreign experience will be determined, and which specialties the program of 26 centers will cover.