On 13 November, 2020 President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdymukhammedov opened a new infectious diseases hospital in the village of Yizgant, Geokdepe etrap.
The event brought together executives and assistant heads of velayat healthcare departments as well as chief physicians of regional infectious diseases hospitals .
After the festive ceremonies all attendees headed to Ashgabat medical centre named after S.A.Niyazov where the meeting headed by Deputy Minister of Healthcare and Medical Industry was held to discuss the public health situation in Turkmenistan. The meeting was held in the conference room behind closed doors.
The official kicked off the meeting by saying that those who had come from provinces did not need to make presentations.
We are well aware of the situation, – he said, implying a critical situation with the coronavirus pandemic and went on to give instructions to regional officials and chief physicians.
An instruction was issued to renovate all infectious diseases hospitals in cities, as well as infectious diseases departments in etrap hospitals, and to replace all hospitals beds, matresses and bed linen. Medical institutions are obliged to carry out these works from their own budgets. The deadline for completing the tasks and reporting is 15 January, 2021.
Because infectious diseases hospitals in cities are overcrowded, rural residents with COVID-19 must undergo treatment locally instead of being referred to the centre. Residents with a mild form of COVID-19 need be treated at home by local healthcare practitioners.
The Ministry of Healthcare is responsible for providing regional in-patient facilities with medical equipment, tests, laboratory equipment, chemicals and medications.
Patients will have to pay for treatment out of their pockets, but s, according to the officials, medications will be available at state prices and the fee for an in-patient bed will be “affordable”.
It is still forbidden to indicate COVID-19 as a diagnosis. Instead, various types of “pneumonia” should be indicated as a diagnosis and in death certificates pneumonia, chronic diseases and underlying medical conditions.
Let us recall that during the opening of the new hospital in Yizgant Berdymukhammedov said that not a single case of coronavirus had been recorded in Turkmenistan. According to the President, this is “a positive thing and our great achievement”.
In the meantime, the news outlet Turkmen News reported that on 15 November a commission from Ashgabat made up of 50 to 60 officials paid a visit to Mary infectious diseases hospital, as well as a hospital for people with disabilities and a diagnostics centre.
Other city hospitals also hastily prepared for the visit of the commission.
According to the news outlet, similar inspections will be carried out in Dashoguz velayat.
On 16 November Radio “Azatlyk” reported that, anticipating the commission from Ashgabat, school teachers had been asked to ensure order on the streets of Mary because of a shortage of police officers – i.e.
patrol residential areas in the evening and ask people to stay at home and make sure stores are closed on time.The post At a closed session officials from Turkmenistan’s Healthcare Ministry acknowledge COVID-19 pandemic and initiate inspections of infectious diseases hospitals first appeared on Chronicles of Turkmenistan.