The former Minister of Health highlighted issues related to the diagnosis and treatment of cancer patients.
In her recent speech, Deputy of the Jogorku Kenesh Gulnara Baatyrova, who previously held the position of Minister of Health, drew attention to serious problems in the oncology service of Kyrgyzstan.
She emphasized that for a country with a population of about 7 million people, it is necessary to have 20 linear accelerators intended for radiation therapy; however, currently, only three devices are operational in the country. Frequent breakdowns of these machines delay the treatment process and negatively affect the prognosis for patients.
According to Baatyrova, approximately 6,000 new cases of cancer are recorded in the republic each year, with about 35,000 patients on dispensary records. Notably, 40% of them arrive for treatment already at stages 3–4 of the disease. The situation is particularly concerning as most of the patients are of working age, between 35 and 60 years old.
Additionally, the former minister pointed out the lack of modern equipment for conducting molecular genetic and immunohistochemical studies, which forces doctors to send samples abroad, slowing down diagnosis. She also noted that about 80% of the necessary expensive medications for treating cancer patients are unavailable, and in the regions, palliative care is quite limited.
Baatyrova emphasized the importance of establishing a research institute based at the National Oncology Center, which would improve the quality of diagnosis and treatment of oncological diseases.
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