Kazakhstan Health Insurance

• Hospitals in Kazakhstan
• Healthcare System News

 

Kazakhstan Introduction

 Kazakhstan is located in central Asia, south of Russia and northwest of China. Kazakhstan borders Russia, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Turkmenistan. Kazakhstan also borders the Caspian Sea. The Republic of Kazakhstan is the ninth largest country in the world; equal in size to Western Europe, and five times the size of France. Kazakhstan means "land of the free" and throughout its history has been populated by many nomadic tribes. In the 19th century Kazahkstan became a part of the Russian Empire. During these times Kazakhstan was the site of many Russian projects and campaigns such as The Trans-Aral Railway,Virgin Land campaign and becoming the USSR's main nuclear weapon testing site. During these times the relationship between Russia and Kazakhstan was of unrest, disruption, revolts and uprisings; this was due to the growing economic and political tensions in Russia, and many demonstrations in Kazakhstan by young ethnic Kazakhs. These events were later known as The Jeltoqsan Riots. As a result of these events Kazakhstan gained its independence in December 16, 1991 After gaining its independence Kazakhstan began to flourish and grow with a balanced foreign policy and, developing its economy with the discovery of large oil, natural gas and metal deposits (Uranium). With an economy that is starting to move forwards, being centrally located between the West and the East, and having a mixture of terrain, Kazakhstan will be a major contender in the world market.

Due to the recent unrest and the threat of terrorism, the human rights problems and severe limits on its citizens, many foreign nationals who are traveling or relocating to the country are obviously worried or concerned about the state of the health care in Kazakhstan.

For more information about traveling to Kazakhstan, the international health insurance plans that we can provide there, or to receive a free quote, please contact us today.

 

Kazakhstan Expat Health Insurance / Healthcare System News

The general healthcare system in Kazakhstan has not changed much since the country gained its independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. The quality of the health care has declined since 1991 because of insufficient funding and the loss of technical experts through emigration, lack of funding, lower pay and an inability to access the latest medical technology. Between 1989 and 2001, the ratio of doctors per 10,000 inhabitants fell by 15 percent, to 34.6 and the ratio of hospital beds per 10,000 inhabitants fell by 46 percent to 74 (putting Kazakhstan between Georgia and Portugal). There have been many pilot projects in health care reform which mainly focused on restructuring primary care, insurance regulation, provider payment mechanism and user fees. Kazakhstan has implemented a government-run Medical Service Payment Centre which was established in December of 1998. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has scored Kazakhstan 62 out of 191 countries globally. The healthcare system in Kazakhstan is in crisis in the rural areas such as the Aral Sea region, where regional health is most affected by high levels of industrial pollution, a lack of government funding, over crowding and subpar experts and doctors that have chosen to remain.

Kazakhstan is in a healthcare crisis, but it can still offer adequate but expensive treatments in their private hospitals that are only located in the major cities. Most of the population of Kazakhstan resides outside of the cities in remote deserts and moutains, with no access to clinics or medical facilities. If there is a healthcare facility outside a major city, in most cases it will only be able to provide immediate and temporary emergency treatment. These rural medica facilities will usually be sub-standard with no inadequatley trained staff and will only be able to offer minimal and low standard care. Top quality Medical treatment within major Kazakh cities will be expensive to foreigners.In many cases expatriates may want to or must have to leave the country for the best medical care.

The average life expectancy in kazakhstan is 67.87 years which is very low especially when we compare it to the global average life expectancy of 66.12 years, and this is taking into account many countries that are far worse off, in terms of national healthcare, than Kazakhstan. This low, by international standards, life expectancy points to the many serious issues in the Kazakhi healthcare systeme. There are many serious diseases thriving where once virtually extinct. Modern illnesses prevelant in the country have included such desieases as, Turberculosis, Hepatitus, and Yellow Fever. This is due to the poverty, poor sanitation, low government funding into the healthcare, pollutiobn, over crowding, and the loss of many experts and doctors through emigration. The resurgence of the many serious diseases are most telling of the crisis facing Kazakhstan and points to the fact that something has to change for the improvement of the Kazakhi population and for the foriegners who come to visit and move there.

Due to pandemia of AIDS/HIV, Kazakhstan faces a threat of HIV spread in its territory, including inside its penitentiary network. There have been many human cases of the H1N1 Virus also known as the Swine Flu and there were reports of outbreaks of the Avian Influenza H5N1 (Bird Flu). As a whole, the reasons of the Kazakhi population's poor health are mainly atributed to poor preventative measures, insufficient responsibly of population for its own health, inefficient inter-sector interaction in terms of health protection and socio-economic problems of the transition period since 1991.

It should be noted that there about 50 natural hot spots of disease highly dangerous for people (plague, anthrax, tularemia and Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever), located in 8 oblasts/states of Kazakhstan. For instance, 39% of the country's territory is a natural hot spot of plague. The Presidential Address to the Nation of Kazakhstan in 2005 pointed out that the healthcare sector requires significant transformations to improve management, financing and medical care provision administration systems, as well as enhancement of funds usage efficiency.

Kazakhstan may not be able to provide you the treatment that many expatriates have come to require. Global Insurance is able to cater to specific individual requirements. Dpending on your needs we can offer you policies which will typically extend you with a number of coverage options. These may include coverage for; in-patient and out-patient treatment, dental care, maternity, specialist consultations, and emergency evacuation. Please give us a call for more information about the international health insurance plans that we can offer you in Kazakhstan, or to receive a free quote, please contact us today.

 

Kazakhstan Health Insurance

We can offer quality international health insurance products and services to expatriates and families in Kazakhstan.
For more information about travel within Kazakhstan, the international health insurance plans and programs that we can provide there, or to receive a free quote, please strongcontact our friendly experts for advice today.