Shavkat Mirziyoyev signs a decree on attracting business into healthcare system

The President signed a decree “On measures to develop public-private partnership in the field of healthcare”.

There are 4,600 private medical organizations in Uzbekistan. Of these, 489 (10.6%) are considered large, 811 - medium (17.6%), 3370 - small (73.2%).

At the same time, there are no legal mechanisms for the introduction of public-private partnership (PPP) in the healthcare sector. This prevents expansion of the network of medical organizations, active attraction of investments and transfer of certain support functions to entrepreneurs.

It was clarified that the most in demand services among investors are for hemodialysis, laboratory research, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, sterilization of medical instruments and disposal of medical waste.

The adopted decree determines that:

PPP projects in medicine are launched on the basis of an agreement between a state and private partner. This may be the design and construction of clinics or provision of goods and services;
private partner will be selected on the basis of a tender or direct negotiations;
the agreement term is determined by partners, but it cannot be less than 3 years and not more than 49 years;
land plots allocated to entrepreneurs, medical and other equipment, buildings and structures built by them are transferred to the state partner at the end of the agreement validity period.

The State partner - the Ministry of Health, will be able to enter into agreements with entrepreneurs and investors for development of the healthcare system.

Any entrepreneur who has the opportunity to build a hospital, laboratory building, or to supply equipment can contact the Ministry. This is a new practice for the legislation of Uzbekistan, but it is applied all over the world.

Entrepreneurs will be able to get preferential loans exclusively for the purchase of modern imported medical equipment and inventory. Credits will be allocated for 8 years, including a 3-year grace period. Investors will be required to make private investment.

The first tenders will appear in the summer of this year. They will be both closed and open depending on the objects and companies.

Expectedly, all of these will ensure the effective use of public money by attracting private investment in the economy, create favorable conditions for attracting advanced medical technologies, improve the quality of medical services and infrastructure in the healthcare sector.