Public concern grows over oncology hospital closures in Tashkent 

As the number of patients at the Republican Center of Oncology and Radiology continues to rise, the planned closure of oncology hospitals in Tashkent city and Tashkent region is further exacerbating the situation. Lengthening queues, a shortage of space, staff layoffs, and uncertainty over the future of the hospital grounds have sparked serious public concern.

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Hundreds of cancer patients at the Republican Center of Oncology and Radiology are forced to wait in long lines. They have come from across Uzbekistan for consultations, diagnostics, and treatment.

As of 10:00 a.m. on December 10, 2025, the end of the queue stood at position 249 – meaning a patient must wait for 248 others to be seen before reaching a doctor. For now, the queue consists only of patients from the regions – for now.

In the coming days, the Tashkent city and Tashkent region branches of the Republican Oncology Hospital are scheduled to close. This means thousands of additional patients will be redirected to the central facility’s already overburdened queue. Given that space is already insufficient and patients are forced to arrive as early as 7:00 a.m. to secure a place in line, the consequences of this decision remain unclear.

In addition, all medical staff working at the branches have reportedly received notices of contract termination. Under a December 2 order from the Tashkent City Main Department of Health, the hospitals are to be vacated.

One of the biggest concerns relates to the future of the vacated hospital sites.

Members of the public and environmental activists fear the land could be allocated for construction. Particular concern surrounds the Tashkent City Oncology Hospital grounds, which are home to more than 1,000 rare trees.

“There is a risk of closed-door decisions”

According to environmental activist Alisher Nasimov, the area should be granted protected status.

“Yesterday I visited the hospital – it is a lush green area. There are more than 1,000 trees here, including species listed in the Red Book and others classified as valuable by a Cabinet of Ministers resolution. The hospital grounds form a real microclimate – the air there is different from surrounding areas. Junipers, plane trees – they all produce oxygen, and some emit a pleasant scent.

“When you look at data from 2022, you cannot help but worry. If someone buys more than four hectares for construction, trees will inevitably be cut down. Some businesspeople openly say, ‘We do not need nature, we need money – we will pay the fines.’ These trees have grown over generations. That is why we are concerned.

“If you look at E-qaror, there are many closed decisions. Even when we investigate after submitting appeals, everything traces back to those decisions. This area must be designated as a specially protected zone,” Nasimov said.

How will the Republican Center accommodate transferred patients?

Kun.uz visited the Republican Center of Oncology and Radiology, where patients from the two branches are to be relocated, to assess the situation. Patients waiting in long queues said they have to arrive before 7:00 a.m. to see a doctor and are sometimes forced to leave without treatment due to a lack of space, even when they have official referrals.

Even before patients from the two city hospitals have been transferred, capacity is already insufficient, making it easy to imagine how dire the situation could become.

Doctor of medical sciences and oncologist Shermuhammad Umirov proposed preserving both hospital sites and converting the buildings into palliative care centers.

“As a scientist, I want to say that our people need not only ‘cities’ and apartment blocks, but also hospitals. We would ask that these hospital sites be turned into a national palliative care center. Such centers are needed not only for oncology patients, but also for those suffering from stroke, diabetes, chronic kidney failure, and other somatic diseases,” he said.

The editorial team contacted the National Committee for Ecology and Climate Change, one of the agencies responsible for the situation. The committee said an inventory of trees at the sites is under way.

“Inspectors from the Shaykhontohur district of the Tashkent City Department for Ecology and Climate Change have conducted an inventory of trees located on the grounds of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Oncology and Radiology on Farobiy Street.

“Tree inventories are also being carried out at the Tashkent City and Tashkent Region Oncology Hospital sites by inspectors from the Almazar and Chilanzar districts,” the committee told Kun.uz.

It should be recalled that in June this year, the President of Uzbekistan sharply criticized the sale of green areas to developers for construction and ordered authorities to identify and restore green zones, sports grounds, and children’s playgrounds that had been repurposed for other uses.