Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
10ASHGABAT251
2010-02-26 12:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Ashgabat
Cable title:
TURKMENISTAN: POOR HEALTHCARE ANOTHER DETERRENT
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C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000251
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2020
TAGS: AMED EINV EPET PGOV SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: POOR HEALTHCARE ANOTHER DETERRENT
FOR FOREIGN BUSINESS
REF: ASHGABAT 55
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
C O N F I D E N T I A L ASHGABAT 000251
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2020
TAGS: AMED EINV EPET PGOV SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: POOR HEALTHCARE ANOTHER DETERRENT
FOR FOREIGN BUSINESS
REF: ASHGABAT 55
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
1. (C) An Amcit employee of Austrian energy company OMV met
with Poloff to ask about the quality of healthcare in
Turkmenistan. Even though he is his company's sole
expatriate employee in Turkmenistan, he said company
headquarters required him to have a medical and other
emergency contingency plan. He asked questions such as could
any of the local hospitals competently treat a heart attack,
what medications were available at local pharmacies, and how
did the U.S. Embassy provide for employees with longer term
health problems? He had been to the Turkish-run Central
Hospital when he had pulled a muscle or ligament in his
shoulder. He was not impressed when they had not been able
to help him because they did not have appropriate diagnostic
equipment. He added that when he worked in Kazakhstan, his
company had a contract with SOS, a private firm that provides
medical services for expatriates. He asked if there were any
such companies in Turkmenistan.
2. (C) In addition to expressing concern about the quality of
medical care in Turkmenistan, the Amcit businessman also
described a series of other frustrating experiences he had
when trying to work in Turkmenistan. He said that finding
office space had been a challenge. The first two potential
landlords had requested a lease clause stating that OMV would
vacate the offices at any point if the Turkmen President
wanted it so. He finally found an office with a private
owner, who did not have that language in the lease. The
businessman also struggles with Internet access. He said
that his connection through Turkmen Telecom is so slow that
he cannot send attachments with his emails. Often he comes
into work at six in the morning to send messages when the
connection speed is faster.
3. (C) COMMENT: This American businessman's questions on
healthcare highlighted another impediment to foreign
companies setting up shop in Turkmenistan. The answer to his
questions about healthcare was that Turkmen hospitals do not
have the capacity to treat serious or long-term medical
problems on a par with Western healthcare (reftel). Nor are
there private companies or private health clinics to provide
medical services to expatriates. The German and UK Embassies
try to mitigate the potential for emergencies by not allowing
their diplomats to bring children to Ashgabat. Concerns
about employees' healthcare, in an already tough business
environment, could impact a company's decision about entering
the Turkmen market. END COMMENT
CURRAN
SIPDIS
STATE FOR SCA/CEN, EEB
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/26/2020
TAGS: AMED EINV EPET PGOV SOCI TX
SUBJECT: TURKMENISTAN: POOR HEALTHCARE ANOTHER DETERRENT
FOR FOREIGN BUSINESS
REF: ASHGABAT 55
Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Sylvia Reed Curran. Reasons 1.4 (B) a
nd (D).
1. (C) An Amcit employee of Austrian energy company OMV met
with Poloff to ask about the quality of healthcare in
Turkmenistan. Even though he is his company's sole
expatriate employee in Turkmenistan, he said company
headquarters required him to have a medical and other
emergency contingency plan. He asked questions such as could
any of the local hospitals competently treat a heart attack,
what medications were available at local pharmacies, and how
did the U.S. Embassy provide for employees with longer term
health problems? He had been to the Turkish-run Central
Hospital when he had pulled a muscle or ligament in his
shoulder. He was not impressed when they had not been able
to help him because they did not have appropriate diagnostic
equipment. He added that when he worked in Kazakhstan, his
company had a contract with SOS, a private firm that provides
medical services for expatriates. He asked if there were any
such companies in Turkmenistan.
2. (C) In addition to expressing concern about the quality of
medical care in Turkmenistan, the Amcit businessman also
described a series of other frustrating experiences he had
when trying to work in Turkmenistan. He said that finding
office space had been a challenge. The first two potential
landlords had requested a lease clause stating that OMV would
vacate the offices at any point if the Turkmen President
wanted it so. He finally found an office with a private
owner, who did not have that language in the lease. The
businessman also struggles with Internet access. He said
that his connection through Turkmen Telecom is so slow that
he cannot send attachments with his emails. Often he comes
into work at six in the morning to send messages when the
connection speed is faster.
3. (C) COMMENT: This American businessman's questions on
healthcare highlighted another impediment to foreign
companies setting up shop in Turkmenistan. The answer to his
questions about healthcare was that Turkmen hospitals do not
have the capacity to treat serious or long-term medical
problems on a par with Western healthcare (reftel). Nor are
there private companies or private health clinics to provide
medical services to expatriates. The German and UK Embassies
try to mitigate the potential for emergencies by not allowing
their diplomats to bring children to Ashgabat. Concerns
about employees' healthcare, in an already tough business
environment, could impact a company's decision about entering
the Turkmen market. END COMMENT
CURRAN