Italy may recruit 3,500 mid-level medical workers from Uzbekistan following pilot labor program

Uzbekistan has sent the first group of medical professionals to Italy under a pilot project for organized recruitment, the Migration Agency reported.

A group of 10 medical workers from Tashkent and Samarkand arrived in Milan on 13 October. They will work in Italian clinics for three months while studying the Italian language and adapting to the local healthcare system during their placement.

As part of the program, the two sides plan to compare the healthcare systems of Uzbekistan and Italy and analyze their differences to ensure better integration in the future. The adaptation period for work and language acquisition will also be studied.

Italian specialists will assess the qualifications of Uzbek medical personnel. Upon the group’s return, both sides will jointly develop a specialized training program to prepare 3,500 mid-level medical workers.

The initiative is part of a five-year cooperation plan between Uzbekistan and Italy in the field of labor migration. It was developed following negotiations with Italian Minister of Health Guido Bertolaso, Governor of Lombardy Attilio Fontana, and representatives of other government bodies and companies.

Uzbekistan and Italy signed a cooperation agreement on migration and mobility during the visit of Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in May this year. Shortly afterward, the Italian government announced the first quota of 1,500 jobs for qualified Uzbek workers.