Kazakhstan Parliament Cracks Down on Healthcare Corruption

Kazakhstan Parliament Strengthens Healthcare Oversight: New Law Aims to Boost Transparency and Fight Corruption Kazakhstan's Parliament recently approved crucial amendments to the compulsory social health insurance (OSMS) law. These changes, spearheaded by Majilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek, aim to address long-standing issues of corruption and lack of transparency within the healthcare system. The reforms mark a significant step towards restoring public trust and ensuring accountability. For years, the Ministry of Health lacked adequate oversight capabilities. "From 2014 to 2017, in the pursuit of business rankings, the Ministry of Health lost all its supervisory functions," Bazarbek stated, highlighting the resulting "complete lawlessness" in the medical field. The new amendments restore the ministry's power to conduct unscheduled inspections, utilizing even confirmed media reports as justification. Financial transparency is another key focus. All entities providing medical services under OSMS are now required to submit comprehensive financial reports, to be published by the fund. This includes the fund itself, which will be under scrutiny for the first time in a decade. Bazarbek emphasized that this initiative promotes social justice and strengthens the prosecution of offenders. The reforms represent a people-driven effort to improve the healthcare system and restore public confidence.