In Uzbekistan, loans will be allocated for opening private clinics in remote areas.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev reviewed a presentation on measures for further developing the healthcare system, improving the quality of medical services, and expanding the participation of the private sector. The President's press secretary reported on this.

 

It was reported that the presentation examined the role of the private sector in the development of the field and the existing opportunities in this regard.

 

It was noted that while 3,200 private clinics operated in the country in 2016, their number is expected to reach 8,700 by 2026. The number of private medical specialties has increased from 39 to 116, and the number of beds in this sector has grown from 16,000 to 57,000. The share of the private sector in the total bed fund is projected to increase from 12 percent to 31 percent.

 

At the same time, certain problems in the system were also highlighted. In particular, it was noted that the current control mechanisms over the quality of medical services are not sufficiently effective, licensing requirements do not fully meet modern demands, information on the activities of private clinics is not compiled in a unified electronic system, and the system for targeted work with investment projects is insufficient.

 

Therefore, new approaches aimed at expanding the participation of the private sector and increasing its responsibility were presented.

 

Specifically, it was proposed to transfer all tasks related to licensing medical activities to the Center for Licensing and Accreditation of Medical Organizations, strengthen licensing procedures from July 1, 2026, and revise 14 out of 48 types of licensing requirements related to ensuring patient safety and the quality of medical care. In this process, it is envisaged to abandon the practice of completely suspending the activities of multi-specialty clinics and instead apply restrictions only on the specific area where a violation has been identified.

 

At the same time, quality control over compliance with licensing requirements and conditions by medical organizations will be strengthened, and monitoring will be established through remote assessment in an electronic information system.

 

Furthermore, it was proposed to allow non-governmental medical organizations to provide medical services at the expense of budget funds in all areas within the scope of their license, to grant accredited private institutions the opportunity to engage in transplantation activities, and, starting from 2028, to prohibit the Insurance Fund from purchasing medical services from non-governmental and republican-level state medical institutions that have not undergone accreditation.

 

By the end of 2030, the activities of all state medical institutions will be gradually subject to mandatory licensing: specifically, 55 republican institutions by April 1, 2027, 413 regional institutions by the end of 2028, and over 3,000 district (city) state medical organizations by the end of 2030.

 

Economic support measures to stimulate private medicine were also discussed.

 

In particular, it is envisaged to allocate a preferential credit resource of 200 million US dollars for opening new clinics in remote areas, providing loans of up to 10 million US dollars per project for a period of up to 10 years, and applying a compensation mechanism for 50 percent of the base rate. At the same time, benefits such as setting the social tax for foreign specialists at 1 percent and providing customs privileges for medical equipment and components were proposed.

 

The presentation also reviewed a new system for attracting investments to the sector.

 

For this purpose, it is envisaged to establish an Agency for the Development of the Medical and Pharmaceutical Network, provide consulting and practical services to investors based on the "single window" principle, and introduce a mechanism for professionally formulating and promoting public-private partnership projects.

 

Specifically, the agency will be granted the authority to attract direct investments to the sector, facilitate investment and public-private partnership projects, and transfer the management of state medical organizations. Additionally, a company called "Health Invest" in the form of a joint-stock company will be established under the agency's founders to assist in formulating, coordinating, and implementing investment projects.

 

It was proposed to develop a strategy for transforming state medical institutions based on corporate governance principles together with foreign experts. Furthermore, it was decided to revise urban planning and sanitary rules and regulations related to the design, construction, and commissioning of medical organizations, with the involvement of foreign consultants, and align them with international requirements.

 

The head of state approved the proposals and gave relevant instructions to the responsible officials.