At a recent briefing, Nurgul Ibraeva, head of the primary health care department of the Medical Assistance Organization and Pharmaceutical Policy Department of the Ministry of Health, and acting director of the Republican Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Zhanibek Azhibekov, discussed the problem of the shortage of psychiatrists in Kyrgyzstan, as well as the difficulties in accessing necessary assistance.
According to Nurgul Ibraeva, there remains uneven access to psychiatric care in the country, especially in rural areas, which is attributed to the lack of medical personnel. She emphasized that the situation is somewhat better in cities; however, in remote regions, patients face challenges in obtaining help.
Zhanibek Azhibekov reported that as of the end of 2025, only 136 psychiatrists are registered in the republic. In comparison, 15 years ago there were about 300, as well as 50 narcologists.
"According to calculations, there should be one psychiatrist for every 40,000 residents. However, in areas with a population of about 160,000, often only one specialist works, who performs the functions of both a psychiatrist and a narcologist. As a result, they have to address a wide range of tasks: from seeing patients to participating in medical examinations for the military enlistment office. The shortage of specialists is evident. Moreover, most of them are concentrated in large hospitals located in Bishkek, Osh, and Jalal-Abad, as well as in Chym-Korgon and the village of Kyzyl-Zhar, where there is also a shortage of staff," he added.
In response to a question about how to obtain assistance, Nurgul Ibraeva stated that Kyrgyzstan has a system where patients first consult a family doctor, who is the primary link in the healthcare system and, if necessary, refers them to specialists, including psychiatrists.
