Azerbaijan needs 1,500 new doctors to improve primary healthcare — Zaur Aliyev

The development of primary healthcare is among the main priorities of the Azerbaijani government, said Zaur Aliyev, head of the State Agency for Mandatory Health Insurance, during his speech in parliament.

According to him, strengthening the primary healthcare system will help reduce the burden on hospitals and improve disease prevention.

“There are around 2,500 medical institutions in the country, and about 40% of them are in poor condition. The most serious problems are observed in rural areas. At least 1,500 doctors are needed to address the staffing shortages in these regions,” Aliyev said.

He noted that several meetings have been held with the Ministry of Health, and under the ‘Mobile Ministry’ initiative, proposals have been prepared to address the shortage of medical personnel.

Aliyev added that infrastructure rehabilitation is part of the national socio-economic development strategy, and work has already begun in Barda district, chosen as a pilot project. All medical points in the district are planned to be reconstructed by the end of the year.

“We will analyze the situation in March. I believe that in the coming years, we will see tangible results of the measures taken to strengthen primary healthcare,” Aliyev added.

N. Tabrizli