Health Minister: Medical care provided to Doc-1 Max victims, compensation not our responsibility

Speaking at a press conference on February 20 dedicated to the Uzbekistan-2030 Strategy, Khudayarov stated that while the ministry ensures medical supervision and treatment, decisions regarding financial compensation are beyond its jurisdiction, Gazeta.uz reported.

“Patients affected by Doc-1 Max are receiving medical care through their family doctors at their place of residence, as are all other citizens. However, there is another side to the issue – compensation. Unfortunately, this does not fall within the competence of our ministry. Several court proceedings have already taken place, and court decisions have been issued. Our task, as I said earlier, is to monitor the key vital indicators of patients who have experienced the consequences and to provide support through their family doctors,” the minister said.

Khudayarov clarified that outpatient treatment is provided through local polyclinics, while children requiring inpatient care receive free hospital treatment.

Previous statements and parents’ concerns

In October 2024, Khudayarov stated that children who developed disabilities as a result of poisoning linked to Doc-1 Max were being provided with “guaranteed medical care.”

However, the father of one of the affected children publicly disputed that claim, describing the information about state support as false. He said he had spent significant sums on his child’s rehabilitation, including selling his home and borrowing money from relatives.

In the same month, a group of parents submitted an appeal to President Shavkat Mirziyoyev, requesting full enforcement of court-awarded compensation.

The Doc-1 Max case has prompted multiple court proceedings, with verdicts already issued, but questions surrounding the payment of compensation to affected families remain unresolved.