According to the monitoring results, the hospital has critical deficiencies: there are no linear accelerators, modern diagnostic equipment, qualified medical personnel, vital medications, and hospital beds. This leads to a deterioration in patients' health and an increase in mortality from cancer, as well as creating significant socio-economic difficulties for their families, who are forced to seek help from private clinics.
At the National Oncology Center, there are queues for radiation therapy, where patients wait for treatment from one to two weeks. In August 2025, 34 people were waiting to start the procedure, as two out of three machines were out of order, and treatment was only being conducted on outdated equipment.
Medical workers emphasize that delays in treatment can lead to serious health consequences for patients. Linear accelerators are only available in Bishkek, and patients from the regions are required to come to the capital to receive the necessary therapy.
Even with all three machines operational, it is extremely difficult to provide timely treatment for all those in need. According to the National Oncology Center, only 25.6% of patients with newly diagnosed cancer were able to receive radiation therapy in the past five years.
According to international standards, there should be one linear accelerator for every 300,000 people, which implies that for a population of 7 million, there should be at least 20 such machines.
At the time of monitoring, there were 325 patients in the center, while more than 35,000 cancer patients are registered. Additionally, there is a shortage of special fixation devices necessary for the accuracy of treatment, which further worsens the situation.
In the radiation therapy department, there were no thermoplastic masks, and other equipment was in poor condition. Furthermore, there is no possibility to conduct full-fledged procedures for children.
The monitoring also revealed that the country faces problems with the early diagnosis of cancer, which is due to outdated equipment and limited technical capabilities. The Center for Doctors had only one ultrasound machine and one outdated mammogram machine.
Funding for the oncology service does not meet real needs. From 2018 to 2024, only 3 million soms per year were allocated for these purposes, while in 2024 the amount increased to 176 million, and in 2025 to 800 million. However, to fully operate the service, 4.5 billion soms are needed, which is five times more than the current funding.
Patients also face a shortage of vital medications. The hospital lacked 80 essential medications, which is related to supply delays and insufficient purchases by "Kyrgyzpharmacy." Many patients are forced to search for and purchase medications on their own.
The current situation violates citizens' rights to access necessary medications and quality treatment. To fully supply the oncology service with medications, at least 2.5 billion soms will be required.
The situation demands immediate solutions, a review of procurement procedures, and a significant increase in funding for the oncology service. The center also needs new buildings, as the hospital is overcrowded, and sometimes there are two patients per bed.
Oncology departments exist in some regions; for example, in Osh, there are only 15 beds, and in Jalal-Abad, Tokmok, and Batken, they only accept patients with uncomplicated forms of diseases. In the Naryn region, there is not a single oncologist.
Similar problems were identified in the children's department of the National Center for Oncology and Medical Diagnostics, where about 60 children were being treated at the end of August 2025. The increase in the number of new cancer cases among children raises serious concerns: from 70 cases in 2014 to more than 200 in 2023.
Oncologists note that the rise in incidence is also related to improved diagnostics; however, there are cases of parents refusing treatment in favor of unconventional methods, which leads to tragic consequences.
At the conclusion of the monitoring, Jamila Jamambaeva sent recommendations to the government and other ministries to address the identified violations and proposed developing a strategy for monitoring and preventing cancer, as well as a comprehensive plan to combat it for 2025-2030.
She also emphasized the need for social and psychological support for families of cancer patients and a review of the conditions for purchasing medications for patients.
