In order to implement the Address of the First President – Elbasy dated Oct. 5, 2018, the Ministry of Healthcare approved the Action Plan for the Implementation of the Main Directions of Development of Primary Healthcare for 2019-2020.

To reduce the workload, 1,315 general practitioners and 79 pediatric sites were opened in 2018; one doctor had 1,989 patients attached in the population.

In 2019, more than 5,000 doctors will graduate from higher medical education institutions in the country, of whom 1,515 are trained in the specialty of a general practitioner, which will completely cover the shortage of primary health care personnel. From 2019, a mandatory three-year working out by graduates in state health organizations is demanded.

For the sake of accessibility, the disintegration of primary health care organizations is carried out. According to the Ministry of Healthcare, in the past two years, 214 objects were commissioned, of which 31% through private investment. In the next three years, it is planned to open another 595 primary health care facilities for over 120 billion tenge. At the same time, more than half of the facilities are planned to open in the framework of public-private partnership. Overhaul of 228 primary health care facilities, installation of more than 11,000 medical equipment are planned.

Birtanov reported that in order to optimize the development of design and estimate documentation and their state expertise, typical projects of primary health care facilities, including those located on the first floors of residential buildings, were created. In addition, in some regions there are ready individual projects of primary health care facilities that can be used in other regions of Kazakhstan. Thus, there are all the necessary conditions for the implementation of planned projects for the construction of primary health care facilities.

In the framework of the Densaulyq State Program, the management of major chronic diseases is expanded.

In order to encourage employees of primary health care for the introduction of the disease management program from the beginning of 2019, by order of Elbasy, a wage increase of 36,000 local medical workers by 20% is envisaged, for which 5.3 billion tenge is provided.

Separately, Birtanov focused on the full-scale launch of the processes of primary health care digitalization.

“According to the 2018 results, the equipment of health organizations in Kazakhstan was 95.1%, 100% of organizations in cities and regional centers were provided with access to the Internet and medical information systems,” the minister said.

In 99% of healthcare organizations, paperless medical records have been introduced; more than 2 million people use mobile applications for patients. As a result of digitalization, visits to the polyclinic were reduced by two times, and the queues decreased by 60%.

In conclusion, Birtanov assured that the Ministry of Healthcare will work to improve the availability and quality of primary health care on a permanent basis.

During the consideration of the issue, Akims of the Akmola region Yermek Marzhikpayev, Zhambyl region — Askar Myrzakhmetov were also heard.

Deputy Prime Minister Gulshara Abdykalikova, in turn, noted that this year the Densaulyq State Program for 2016–2019 will be completed. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt an action plan for the implementation of the main directions for the development of primary health care for 2019–2020. Abdykalikova urged akims and government agencies to make their proposals, given that in the next five years the main focus in health care will be on improving the quality and accessibility of primary health care.