Uzbekistan sets sweeping healthcare quality reform standards

Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — Uzbekistan, medical quality control, healthcare regulation reform, medical institutions Uzbekistan, public healthcare standards

President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has signed a resolution introducing additional measures to improve the quality of medical services.

Dated May 5, 2026, the document establishes unified requirements for the operations of medical organizations regardless of ownership and sets out a phased transition of the healthcare sector to international licensing and accreditation standards.

The main objectives of the reform include bringing more than 3,000 public medical institutions into compliance with licensing requirements by 2030, integrating the information systems of all medical organizations into a unified digital healthcare platform, and introducing at least 75 national accreditation standards into healthcare delivery processes. The reform also provides for the creation of electronic mechanisms to monitor the quality of services provided.

Starting July 1, 2026, licensing functions on behalf of the Ministry of Health will be transferred to the state institution “Center for Licensing and Accreditation of Medical Organizations.” The presence of a dedicated internal quality control unit within medical organizations will become a mandatory requirement for obtaining a license. During inspections, supervisory authorities will be required to notify the business ombudsman via the “Unified State Supervision” system within 24 hours of initiating inspections.

The resolution introduces a strict phased schedule for mandatory licensing of public healthcare institutions. Republican-level institutions must obtain licenses by April 1, 2027; regional institutions by the end of 2028; and district and city-level institutions by the end of 2030.

A key requirement is accreditation. Starting April 1, 2028, the State Health Insurance Fund will be prohibited from concluding contracts for the purchase of medical services with republican public and private healthcare organizations that have not undergone national or international accreditation in accordance with standards of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua).

In the area of digitalization, from April 1, 2027, medical licensing will depend on mandatory free integration of healthcare organizations’ information systems into the Digital Healthcare Platform under unified standards. On this basis, the Center will be able to conduct remote monitoring of compliance with licensing requirements and service quality. The Ministry of Health, together with the Ministry of Digital Technologies, must within three months approve unified technical requirements for medical information systems and establish an updated database of clinical protocols and standards for diagnosis and treatment.

For workforce development, the reform provides for sending 20 employees of the Center and five representatives of non-governmental non-profit healthcare organizations for advanced training in international accreditation bodies, funded by the State Targeted Fund for Healthcare Development and training programs of the “El-Yurt Umidi” foundation.

A total of 20 billion Uzbek soums will be allocated in 2026 from the state budget, previously directed to the Ministry of Health, for the organization of the Center’s operations, development of the digital monitoring system, training of specialists, and engagement of foreign experts. The Center is also granted operational management rights over three floors totaling 2,000 square meters in a building located at 51 Parkent Street in Tashkent.

By the end of 2028, the Center itself must obtain ISQua international accreditation. The Ministry of Construction, together with relevant agencies, is instructed to revise and align design, construction, and commissioning standards for medical facilities with international requirements within three months.