Kazakhstan to Raise Healthcare Salaries, Boost Protections

Kazakh First Vice Minister of Healthcare Timur Sultangaziyev has said that Kazakhstan is set to boost healthcare worker salaries and strengthen legal protections as part of a major modernization drive aimed at improving access to quality medical care.

Thanks to President Tokayev’s support, state healthcare spending nearly tripled in recent years, reaching 3 trillion tenge in 2025, The Caspian Post reports via Kazakh media.

This funding has helped expand services, modernize infrastructure, and upgrade equipment nationwide. Major facilities such as the National Oncology Center and Emergency Medicine Center in Astana, and the National Center for Infectious Diseases in Almaty, have been opened. The rural healthcare modernization project is nearing completion, with over 650 facilities built, reducing the urban-rural care gap.

Tariff policies have been revised for the first time in years, raising rates for maternity and pediatric care and emphasizing prevention, early diagnosis, and quality services. Significant progress has been made in maternal and child health, oncology, and advanced treatment methods previously available mostly abroad.

A new pharmaceutical policy has stabilized medicine supplies and optimized budget spending. Digitalization is a priority, with the launch of the “eDensaulyq” ecosystem and AI tools to support doctors and improve care quality.

Legal protections for medical staff have been strengthened, including criminal liability for violence against doctors and ambulance staff, along with professional liability insurance. Social support measures have reduced shortages of doctors by 19 per cent, nursing staff by 7 per cent, and rural medical personnel by 16 per cent. This year, salaries will rise for infectious disease and emergency care workers, while penalties for violence against medical staff will be increased.

A new law also improves the mandatory social health insurance system, expanding coverage and shifting to an insurance model. These measures are already showing results: life expectancy is projected at 75.8 years, overall mortality has dropped 2.6 per cent, infant mortality by 18 per cent, and Kazakhstan has climbed seven spots in the Human Development Index, strengthening its international standing.

President Tokayev has also signed legislation to discourage violence against healthcare workers, reinforcing protections for medical professionals across the country.