Kyrgyzstan increases amount of cancer care to population

Amount of cancer care is being increased in Kyrgyzstan. The Minister of Health Care of the Kyrgyz Republic Talantbek Batyraliev announced today at a press conference.

 According to the Health Care Ministry, the law of the Kyrgyz Republic On cancer care to the population was adopted in 2000. According to it, cancer care for persons suffering from malignant tumors should be provided free of charge in all state health care facilities. Due to lack of budget financing of health care, this rule of law was declarative and was not really executed. Financing of expenses for medicines and mandatory health insurance from the national budget amounted to about 2,475 soms (11 percent).

The general guarantee of free treatment in the shortage of finances has led to the fact that this type of medical care has become hard-to-get for the majority of the population. Citizens had to travel to other countries even for the diagnosis. Therefore, in March 2016, the law has been amended. The essence is the abolition of free treatment declaration.

 As reported, according to the latest amendments, the government increases financing of cancer care, as well as strengthens its targeting. It is expected that this will lead to the improvement of the quality of medical care, improving access to modern methods of treatment, increasing the funding of cancer care.

Implementation of measures on the transfer of cancer services to financing in the Single Payer system starts. This will lead to an increase in its funding inclusive of the compulsory health insurance funds, systematization and legalization of informal payments, contribute to the fight against corruption. It will also lead to the differentiation of categories of people who have a right to free treatment in oncology organizations, as well as the categories of persons who will make a partial or total co-payment, depending on the status, concessions and compulsory health insurance.

As noted, emergency medical care will be provided free of charge as before. Provision of patients in the terminal stage of the disease with narcotics and analgesics will be also retained. "The transparency of the use of money spent in medical institutions by patients and their relatives will be increased. Instead of widely practiced informal payments, medical institutions will be able to introduce the co-payment system. This will reduce costs, improve the quality of medical care, the responsibility of doctors, contribute to corruption control, " Talantbek Batyraliev said.

As noted, after the signing of the law, there are held negotiations with investors, because without them it is impossible to improve the quality of diagnosis and treatment of patients. Investors have already showed interest in the delivery of modern equipment to the Kyrgyz Republic.

Along with the aforementioned law, amendments have been made in some legislative acts on health protection. Palliative care is for the first time included in the list of state guaranteed health care. It is provided free of charge in order to improve the quality of life of patients and their families through the prevention and relief of their sufferings.