Tashkent, Uzbekistan (UzDaily.com) — President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev has reviewed the presentation of proposals for equipping medical institutions and improving the quality of healthcare services.

To strengthen public health and improve treatment quality, hospitals are being equipped with modern technology, with at least 100 billion soums allocated annually from the budget for these purposes. Last year alone, US$200 million in foreign investments and US$94 million in grants were raised for the acquisition of high-tech medical equipment.

As a result, devices such as CT scanners, MRI machines, and angiographs, which were previously available only in republican institutions, are now installed in regional and district hospitals. This significantly brings specialized medical services closer to the population.

This year, 200 billion soums have been allocated from the state budget for these purposes, and there are plans to attract US$370 million in foreign investment into the healthcare sector.

The presentation outlined plans to equip medical institutions. Specifically, with the help of US$100 million provided by the Asian Development Bank, 21,000 units of medical equipment across 45 types and 6 resuscitation vehicles will be purchased for 230 maternity hospitals throughout the republic.

With 30 million euros from Germany’s KfW Bank, 862 units of equipment for treating cardiovascular diseases will be installed in 19 medical institutions in Karakalpakstan and Khorezm. Additionally, with a 13.5 million euro grant from the bank, a training center and student dormitory will be built in Termez, equipped with modern training and simulation equipment as well as information technologies.

The President emphasized that equipping medical institutions is only part of the task. It is crucial to begin preparing qualified specialists who can efficiently work with the new equipment.

A task has been set to organize additional training for doctors and nurses at the respective institutions.

Special attention was paid to the effective use of the already available equipment. In some areas, the average load on angiographs is only 34%, and the performance of CT scanners varies depending on the region.

To improve the efficiency of high-tech equipment use in state medical institutions, projects involving outsourcing and public-private partnerships are planned in collaboration with local authorities.