Mirziyoyev Orders Every Region to Raise $150 Million for Healthcare by 2027

Every region of Uzbekistan must attract at least $150 million in investment and grants for healthcare development by 2027, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced at a meeting with doctors and pharmacists. The directive came alongside a broad package of institutional reforms spanning genetics research, hospital performance assessment and physician pay.

Genomics, Ethics and Harvard-Backed Training

Mirziyoyev told the gathering that advances in genomics, cellular technologies and biotechnology now make it possible to treat conditions previously considered incurable. He stressed that expanding these fields must be accompanied by robust patient-rights protections and strict ethical standards in any research touching human life and health. A legal framework for bioethics and biotechnology is planned, and specialists in hereditary diseases are to be trained with support from Harvard Medical School.

The president cited the Republican Centre for Emergency Medical Care as a model, noting that it has developed a strong neurosurgery school whose expertise should be extended to the regions. Mobile teams — comprising surgeons, anaesthesiologists, intensive-care specialists, assistants and nurses — will travel to regional facilities to raise treatment standards and build patient confidence in local services.

Primary-care workers will also be required to complete three-to-four-month placements at specialist centres, a requirement that will apply across all such institutions. Specialised centres operating in districts and mahallas will reorganise their working arrangements accordingly.

Annual Contracts, Public Accountability and Performance Pay

From 2027, the directors of 26 specialist centres will move onto annual performance contracts. Each director will be required to commit to introducing innovations, raising staff qualifications and applying scientific advances in clinical practice. Specialists from leading university clinics abroad will be brought in to evaluate the centres and identify shortcomings. At the end of each year, management will report publicly on results, and contract renewals will depend on what has been achieved.

Also from next year, a mechanism will be introduced allowing citizens to rate the quality of care at individual hospitals and polyclinics at the national, regional and district levels. Physician and nurse salaries are to be linked to performance, with patient satisfaction as the primary metric.