Ashgabat (AsiaNews / Agencies) – Under President Kurbanguly Berdymukhammedov, in the capital Ashgabat, cutting edge new health facilities are being raised. But local sources say they are reserved for the elite and experts point out that the government has solved the problems of public health by denying the existence of diseases.
Last July, Berdymukhammedov attended the opening of the new Centre for Cancer Care in Ashgabat, an imposing structure with white marble, tinted windows and gold decorations, with the entrance embellished by fountains. But according to the agency Eurasianet, local sources explain that this structure, although described as fully free of charge, is not open to everyone but only those who can pay a "bribe" to enter.
The public health facility had been demolished by former president Saparmurat Niyazov, who had closed many hospitals and medical centres outside the capital and made working conditions so uncomfortable that the army was sent to supervise the nurses and force them to work.
At the time of his installation, the current president had made health care reform a priority. But very little has been done outside of Ashgabat and the health authorities are particularly careful to magnify great results but many expect them only on paper. In fact it is very difficult to have precise information, because public officials do not want to make statements that may be unwelcome.
Experts say that the country lacks not only the structures but also the medical experts, partly because Niyazov closed many hospitals outside Ashgabat and reduced the degree course for medicine from 5 to 2 years, with an additional year of practice under the supervision of an experienced physician.
They note, again, that Berdymukhammedov, a former dentist, was health minister under Niyazov, and has worked on the previous dismantling the health system.
In mid-December Doctors Without Borders announced that it was leaving the country because the government prevented them following the planned program to eliminate tuberculosis. Perhaps because the government denies the presence of epidemic diseases, which instead are spreading: According to MSF, about 20% of the population is suffering from a form of tuberculosis resistant to normal medication. The group notes that the lack of health insurance prevents prevention and can lead to even serious epidemics.