Aysylbek Smanov, who worked for 16 years as the chief engineer of RUPOI, stated that the situation in the institution requires serious attention. "People who have lost their legs are forced to wait six months for their prosthetics, and when outdated designs are brought to them, it is not rehabilitation, but mockery," he asserts. According to him, these words are not an emotional outburst but are based on years of experience. Over the past two years, Smanov has sent numerous appeals to the President, deputies, the Prosecutor General's Office, and other state bodies, but in his opinion, the responses often amounted to formal replies. Similar complaints have also come from the Union of Disabled Persons of Kyrgyzstan.
RUPOI remains the only state body that provides disabled individuals with prosthetic and orthopedic products (POI) free of charge from the state budget. However, according to Smanov, the timelines for manufacturing prosthetics are systematically violated.
In his view, there are several key problems: "Firstly, the products do not comply with individual rehabilitation programs. Secondly, leather prosthetics are still being used, which have long been out of use worldwide. Thirdly, unnecessary materials and equipment are being purchased. Although funds are allocated, there is a shortage of prosthetics," the engineer states.
Smanov also emphasizes that corruption and opaque procurement processes exacerbate the situation. "For example, an unfavorable contract was signed with 'Motorika', while there are more advantageous offers available. Some purchases were made through intermediaries, such as 'Ortex' and 'Medexpert'. Additionally, the interests of certain companies, such as the Russian 'Metiz', are being lobbied. During the major renovation of the building, new equipment worth over 1 million soms was dismantled and then disappeared. People need prosthetics, and the equipment simply vanishes. Is this negligence or a crime?" he poses a rhetorical question.
According to Smanov, the main problem is that in Kyrgyzstan, people with disabilities cannot independently choose suppliers of prosthetic and orthopedic products and receive compensation for it. "The state guarantees outlined in the laws do not work in practice. Disabled individuals receive products that do not meet their individual rehabilitation programs, and they have no alternatives. Unlike foreign practices, where disabled individuals can choose a supplier and receive compensation for modern equipment, improving the quality of rehabilitation and reducing corruption risks," he adds.
According to his appeals, the Prosecutor General's Office identified the following violations:
- a case has been initiated regarding violations by officials of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development;
- an investigation has been launched into the identified violations;
- a claim for damages in the amount of 25 million soms has been filed;
- violations of minimum staffing norms in the management structures of state bodies have been identified.
Additionally, Smanov claims that his dismissal, initiated by Aliza Soltonbekova, the then-director of RUPOI, was illegal and related to his criticism of the institution's activities and the identification of violations in procurement and resource expenditure.
The situation remains ambiguous: an experienced expert speaks of corruption and the suffering of disabled individuals, while inspections show no violations. Between these positions are thousands of people waiting for modern prosthetics. The question of who is right — Smanov, the officials, or the system itself — remains open, as state obligations to provide disabled individuals with modern rehabilitation aids are being fulfilled with delays and contradictions.
It is worth noting that a year ago, citizens with disabilities appealed to the chairman of the State National Security Committee, Kamchibek Tashiev, requesting an inspection of RUPOI's operations. People with disabilities stated that the prosthetics produced by the institution are of low quality and fail within three months at a cost of over 100,000 soms.
The editorial team of VB.KG reached out to the Ministry of Labor and Social Development for an official comment on the situation at RUPOI. Representatives of the ministry promised to prepare a response and provide their version of events, noting that all actions of the institution and inspections comply with the law.
