Kazakhstan Cuts Doctor Shortage by 20%, Slows Medical Brain Drain Fivefold

Over the past two years, Kazakhstan has implemented a comprehensive package of measures aimed at providing social support and enhancing the professional status of healthcare workers. This initiative, carried out on the instruction of the Head of State, has yielded significant results in stabilizing the nation's medical workforce.

The efforts have led to a 20.4% reduction in the shortage of doctors and a 13% decrease in the deficit of mid-level medical personnel. Furthermore, the outward migration of healthcare professionals has dropped nearly fivefold over the last five years.

A series of legislative acts have been adopted to bolster protections for medical staff. These include laws on professional liability insurance for healthcare workers and stricter penalties for physical violence or acts of cruelty against them while they perform their duties. Additional steps have been taken to create safer working conditions across medical institutions.

To attract specialists to rural areas facing acute shortages, substantial one-time social payments have been introduced. For doctors in critical fields like obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, anesthesiology, and resuscitation working in villages, this payment amounts to 100 Monthly Calculation Indexes (MCI), equivalent to approximately 8.5 million tenge.

Other forms of social support for medical personnel include provisions for official housing, relocation allowances, compensation for utility expenses, and various other benefits.

The statistical improvements are clear: compared to 2023, the national doctor shortage fell from 4,863.75 to 3,869.5 full-time positions—a reduction exceeding one-fifth. The situation in rural healthcare received particular focus, where the doctor deficit decreased by 26.7%, from 1,121.5 to 821.25 positions.

The shortage of mid-level medical staff also shows a consistent downward trend, falling by 13% from 4,819.75 to 4,195 positions.

In terms of population coverage, Kazakhstan's indicators have reached levels comparable to OECD countries. In 2025, the country had 41 doctors per 10,000 people (up from 40.6 in 2023) and 95.9 mid-level medical personnel per 10,000 (up from 95.2). For context: the United Kingdom has approximately 34 doctors and 91 mid-level staff per 10k; Estonia has about 35 doctors and 66 staff; Spain reports around 44 doctors and 59 staff per same population unit.

A particularly striking achievement is the dramatic slowdown in the emigration of medical professionals. Over five years, the number of specialists leaving Kazakhstan has plummeted:
2021: ~904 persons
2022: ~668 persons
2023: ~429 persons
2024: ~280 persons
2025: ~186 persons

The achieved outcomes demonstrate the effectiveness of a holistic approach that combines elevating the status of medical workers with tangible improvements in their working conditions and systemic development for training new personnel.