Doctors in family clinics to work full-time under new healthcare reform

As part of a pilot project in Uzbekistan, medical personnel at family clinics will now be required to work full-time. This initiative is outlined in the Presidential Decree titled “On Measures to Consistently Continue Reforming the Sector by Improving the Healthcare System and the Principles of Providing Medical Services to the Population in the Republic", adopted on May 19 of this year.

According to the decree, the primary healthcare system will undergo significant structural changes, including the following:

- Family clinics and family doctor stations—along with affiliated branches and mahalla medical stations—will be transformed into fully fledged family clinics with legal status, depending on the population size of the area they serve.
- Each family clinic will be staffed with a family doctor, pediatrician, obstetrician-gynecologist, and specialists providing diagnostic services. Dentistry services will be offered on an outsourced basis.
- Citizens will be granted the right to freely choose their family doctor.

Furthermore, up to 3,000 individuals—or more if needed beyond established norms—may be assigned to each medical brigade. However, the strategic target is to reduce this number to no more than 1,700 people per brigade by 2030.

All medical staff in family clinics will be employed on a full-time basis.

To address accessibility in remote areas, mobile medical services will be organized for residents living in mahalla citizen gatherings located more than 10 kilometers from the nearest family clinic.

Additionally, as part of this pilot project, the decree stipulates a 20 percent increase in the monthly salaries of doctors working in selected district and city central hospitals.