Kazakhstan has reduced its doctor shortage by 19.6% over the past two years, with rural areas seeing an even sharper decline of 26.7%, according to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Authorities have overhauled medical education and workforce policies. The minimum Unified National Testing score for paid medical programs has been raised to 80–90 points, and mandatory competency assessments after the third year have been introduced, with underperforming students subject to dismissal. An additional 300 hours of specialized coursework have been added to bridge the gap between theory and practice.
A new system of tripartite agreements between universities, students and hospitals now links education directly to employment; 70% of residents have already signed such contracts. Internship programs have also been reinstated in six key disciplines, including internal medicine, pediatrics and surgery.
To address rural shortages, financial incentives were doubled. In 2025, 529 doctors in high-demand specialties received relocation payments of 8.5 million tenge each. The number of medical workers benefiting from social support and service housing rose by 30%, bringing more than 1,000 specialists to rural communities.
The ministry has also strengthened protections for healthcare workers by installing police posts in hospitals and equipping ambulance staff with body cameras. A professional liability insurance system now covers 190,000 employees, backed by a 3.1 billion tenge fund.
