In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, the Minister of Health and Social Protection of the Population Jamoliddin Abdullozoda revealed on February 10 that Tajikistan now lacks 674 physicians.
According to him, Sughd province alone now lacks 180 physicians and nurses. Khatlon province reportedly lacks 120 physicians and districts subordinate to the center lack 128 physicians and nurses.
“Dushanbe now lacks 150 physicians and the Gorno Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) lacks 11 physicians,” the minister said.
Last year, 109 health workers retired, 54 physicians and 78 nurses died that is also one of reasons for shortage of health workers in the country, Abdullozoda noted.
The minister says many health workers have left the country because some countries experiencing shortage of health workers offer beneficial programs to attract doctors.
The minister makes this statement as many Tajik physicians have left for Russia for permanent residence.
According to official statistics, more than 80,000 people, including 20,797 physicians and 60,329 nurses, now work in the country’s health sector.
As it had been reported earlier, the Russian authorities are attempting to fill the shortage of physicians and nursing stuff by qualified specialists from other countries, mainly CIS nations.
Russian media reports said in October 2019 that the Minister of Labor of the Russian Federation plans to include medical workers on the list of specialists who can obtain Russia citizenship following simplified procedure.
amic.ru reported at the time that Russian medical facilities need 25,000 physicians and 130,000 nurses.
Medical workers alongside teachers, tractor operators, veterinary surgeons, engineers, mechanics, and many other specialties (totaling 135 specialties) have bene put on the list of specialists who can obtain Russian citizenship following simplified procedure.
