Uzbekistan’s medical workers announced to receive supplements of up to 7 million soums and free residency

Meeting in Qo‘qon: personnel as the top priority

On October 27, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev held a meeting in Qo‘qon with healthcare and pharmaceutical workers, at which he announced a package of new measures — from salary supplements to medical education reform. The central theme was personnel training: according to the president, building modern clinics and purchasing equipment is not enough without qualified specialists. “No matter how many modern clinics we build, no matter how much state-of-the-art equipment we purchase, without qualified personnel there will be no results,” he said (quote cited from UzNews.uz).

Salary supplements and incentives

Medical workers will receive additional salary supplements: 1.5 million soums for nurses and male nurses with bachelor’s degrees, 2.5 million soums for those with master’s degrees, and 5.5 million soums for narrow-profile family medicine specialists. A separate measure concerns state registration: according to Spot.uz, doctors and pharmacists who complete it will receive a supplement of 7 million soums, and mid-level medical staff — 3.5 million soums. The president explained the introduction of registration by the need for “clear order and strict control” in the field of public health.

Education and residency

Today, 11 state universities train 15,000 doctors annually; however, as the president noted, not all graduates are ready to work with patients independently from day one. “In another field, a young employee may make a mistake, but a future doctor has no right to do so,” he emphasized. Starting next year, students will spend three days a week learning to work with patients, and graduates will devote their entire final academic year to practice at a medical facility. From 2027, residency training in narrow specialties will become free, with a stipend of 3 million soums; the training period will range from two to five years depending on the field. The publications differ on details here: Zamon.uz indicates two years for family medicine and five for surgery, while Spot.uz says two years for therapists and five for surgeons. Clinics will be affiliated with universities: a system of “university clinics” is being introduced, where 80% of medical research should be conducted.

Professional development and competitions

The private sector will be involved in the professional development of medical staff: doctors will be able to independently choose an institution for courses, and the state will fully reimburse the expenses of primary care and district hospital employees. According to the president, this will allow more than 130,000 medical workers employed in districts to save about 100 billion soums per year (data cited from Spot.uz and Kun.uz). This year, regional competitions “Best Doctor” and “Best Nurse” for the district level are being held for the first time, with prizes of 30 million soums; next year, the 14 winning doctors of the regional stage will be awarded electric vehicles, and the authors of the ten best projects promoting a healthy lifestyle will receive grants of 200 million soums each.

Registration and standards: timelines and coverage

The state registration system for medical and pharmaceutical workers will launch on July 1, 2027, and will be voluntary at the first stage, becoming mandatory by 2030 — these timelines are reported by Spot.uz. In addition, the industry will implement the “Medical Standards of the New Uzbekistan,” covering education, construction, sanitary and hygienic requirements, patient safety, and staff conduct culture; primary care medical workers will be gradually provided with free special uniforms (according to UzNews.uz).