Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
09ASHGABAT1269
2009-10-05 11:23:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: MODERN HEALTH FACILITIES LACK DOCTORS
how-toVZCZCXRO1704 RR RUEHIK DE RUEHAH #1269/01 2781123 ZNR UUUUU ZZH R 051123Z OCT 09 FM AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3577 INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 5754 RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3466 RUEHKO/AMEMBASSY TOKYO 3330 RUEHIT/AMCONSUL ISTANBUL 3997 RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1187 RHMCSUU/CDR USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL RUEHVEN/USMISSION USOSCE 3974 RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC RHEFDIA/DIA WASHDC RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHDC RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHDC RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001269
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO TSPL SOCI EIND TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MODERN HEALTH FACILITIES LACK DOCTORS
ASHGABAT 00001269 001.2 OF 002
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ASHGABAT 001269
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO TSPL SOCI EIND TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MODERN HEALTH FACILITIES LACK DOCTORS
ASHGABAT 00001269 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for Public Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Two months ago, the Turkmen government
commissioned two major medical hospitals in Ashgabat, but the
facilities remain closed due to a shortage of qualified medical
personnel to staff the hospitals. The serious shortage of qualified
local specialists forced the government to speed up the process for
certification of holders of foreign university diplomas. The
Turkmen government allows private healthcare services, but the
Ministry of HEALTH maintains control over the quality of services
provided by private healthcare providers. END SUMMARY.
3. (U) On July 21, the Government of Turkmenistan commissioned two
multi-million dollar HEALTH facilities in Ashgabat: the
International Medical Center for treating head and neck-related
diseases and the Oncology Center. The Turkish Inshaat and Polimeks
companies carried out the construction. The equipment for the
medical facilities came from Germany, Italy and the United States.
President Berdimuhamedov, who is a dentist by background, attended
the inauguration ceremony for the opening of the medical facilities
and operated on a patient to remove a fatty tumor from his ear. The
president declared July 21 "Professional HEALTH Workers' Day."
4. (SBU) According to a local source, two months later, the new
hospitals are still not functioning. Reportedly, the Ministry of
Health has experienced difficulties staffing the hospitals with
personnel qualified to operate the high-tech diagnostic equipment.
At Turkmenistan's only medical school, the curriculum is outdated
and materials are lacking. Over the past fifteen years, this
neglect has resulted in low professional standards among HEALTH
workers who were trained while Niyazov was president.
5. (SBU) Until 2008, the Ministry of HEALTH did not recognize
foreign medical diplomas and denied employment to local medical
specialists who graduated from foreign medical schools or received
training in foreign countries, unless the training was part of a
government-sponsored program. Now, the government has a regulation
in place, according to which the Ministry of Education (MOE) is able
to certify degrees earned at foreign universities. According to the
regulation, the holder of a foreign university diploma must prove to
the MOE that the foreign university is accredited. The foreign
degree holder must also pass a test on the Ruhnama (late President
Niyazov's ideological treatise) and a test related to the person's
specialty. Until recently, the applicants encountered many
bureaucratic obstacles and the entire process took up to six months.
However, a 2009 graduate of a medical school in Kyrgyzstan told a
Pol/Econ local staff member that she applied to the MOE for
certification of her medical diploma in mid-September and was
scheduled to take the required tests in mid-October. Local analysts
say that the serious shortage of qualified specialists in the
country forced the government to speed up the process of
certification of foreign degree holders.
6. (SBU) The 2002 Turkmen Law on Public Healthcare includes
provisions for the development of private sector healthcare. The
law stipulates that the Ministry of HEALTH is responsible for
licensing private healthcare providers and for implementing quality
control over the services of private healthcare providers.
Presently, there is only ONE private hospital in the country, which
is owned by a Turkish company. Reportedly, there is continuing
friction between the management of the Turkish hospital and a
government inspector, who was assigned by the HEALTH Ministry to
work at the hospital full-time.
7. (SBU) COMMENT: It is a positive sign that the government has
finally admitted a serious shortage of qualified specialists in the
country and changed its discriminatory policy against holders of
foreign university diplomas. The government's next step should be
improvement of the quality of education at local universities. END
COMMENT.
ASHGABAT 00001269 002.2 OF 002
CURRAN
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: TBIO TSPL SOCI EIND TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: MODERN HEALTH FACILITIES LACK DOCTORS
ASHGABAT 00001269 001.2 OF 002
1. (U) Sensitive but Unclassified. Not for Public Internet.
2. (SBU) SUMMARY: Two months ago, the Turkmen government
commissioned two major medical hospitals in Ashgabat, but the
facilities remain closed due to a shortage of qualified medical
personnel to staff the hospitals. The serious shortage of qualified
local specialists forced the government to speed up the process for
certification of holders of foreign university diplomas. The
Turkmen government allows private healthcare services, but the
Ministry of HEALTH maintains control over the quality of services
provided by private healthcare providers. END SUMMARY.
3. (U) On July 21, the Government of Turkmenistan commissioned two
multi-million dollar HEALTH facilities in Ashgabat: the
International Medical Center for treating head and neck-related
diseases and the Oncology Center. The Turkish Inshaat and Polimeks
companies carried out the construction. The equipment for the
medical facilities came from Germany, Italy and the United States.
President Berdimuhamedov, who is a dentist by background, attended
the inauguration ceremony for the opening of the medical facilities
and operated on a patient to remove a fatty tumor from his ear. The
president declared July 21 "Professional HEALTH Workers' Day."
4. (SBU) According to a local source, two months later, the new
hospitals are still not functioning. Reportedly, the Ministry of
Health has experienced difficulties staffing the hospitals with
personnel qualified to operate the high-tech diagnostic equipment.
At Turkmenistan's only medical school, the curriculum is outdated
and materials are lacking. Over the past fifteen years, this
neglect has resulted in low professional standards among HEALTH
workers who were trained while Niyazov was president.
5. (SBU) Until 2008, the Ministry of HEALTH did not recognize
foreign medical diplomas and denied employment to local medical
specialists who graduated from foreign medical schools or received
training in foreign countries, unless the training was part of a
government-sponsored program. Now, the government has a regulation
in place, according to which the Ministry of Education (MOE) is able
to certify degrees earned at foreign universities. According to the
regulation, the holder of a foreign university diploma must prove to
the MOE that the foreign university is accredited. The foreign
degree holder must also pass a test on the Ruhnama (late President
Niyazov's ideological treatise) and a test related to the person's
specialty. Until recently, the applicants encountered many
bureaucratic obstacles and the entire process took up to six months.
However, a 2009 graduate of a medical school in Kyrgyzstan told a
Pol/Econ local staff member that she applied to the MOE for
certification of her medical diploma in mid-September and was
scheduled to take the required tests in mid-October. Local analysts
say that the serious shortage of qualified specialists in the
country forced the government to speed up the process of
certification of foreign degree holders.
6. (SBU) The 2002 Turkmen Law on Public Healthcare includes
provisions for the development of private sector healthcare. The
law stipulates that the Ministry of HEALTH is responsible for
licensing private healthcare providers and for implementing quality
control over the services of private healthcare providers.
Presently, there is only ONE private hospital in the country, which
is owned by a Turkish company. Reportedly, there is continuing
friction between the management of the Turkish hospital and a
government inspector, who was assigned by the HEALTH Ministry to
work at the hospital full-time.
7. (SBU) COMMENT: It is a positive sign that the government has
finally admitted a serious shortage of qualified specialists in the
country and changed its discriminatory policy against holders of
foreign university diplomas. The government's next step should be
improvement of the quality of education at local universities. END
COMMENT.
ASHGABAT 00001269 002.2 OF 002
CURRAN