In Bishkek, where the population exceeds 1.2 million people, the Emergency Medical Service receives calls at the number 103 around the clock. Local residents often face issues when ambulances arrive late or when they have to wait a long time to connect. To improve the situation, there are plans to increase the number of ambulance stations and vehicles in the capital.
The "Kabar" agency conducted an interview with Iskender Shayahemtov, the director of the Emergency Medical Service, to discuss the current capabilities of the service and future plans.
— Currently, our center employs 210 doctors and 365 nurses. Last year, there was a severe shortage of doctors, with 98 vacancies remaining unfilled. However, after the salaries of emergency workers were raised by 20,000 soms, this problem has significantly decreased: now there are 32 vacant positions. There are five stations operating in Bishkek, and 42 ambulances are on duty around the clock.
The first station is located in the residential area "Ak-Bosogo" in the north of the city, the second is near the "Manas" cinema, the third is in the village of Lebedinovka, the fourth is on Young Guard Boulevard, and the fifth station, opened two years ago, is located in "Ak-Orgo." These teams receive many calls, but it is still insufficient, as during Soviet times, 59 teams served 540,000 residents, while now 42 teams must work for 1.3 million city dwellers.
— You are right, there are indeed many new high-rise buildings in the southern part of the city, and one station cannot handle the load. We are ready to open a new unit; the project documentation is already prepared. The necessity of this project was also emphasized by the Minister of Health. In the coming days, we will inspect the site for construction. With the opening of the new station on Suerkulova Street, an additional 15 teams will be added, which will reduce the arrival time of doctors to 10–15 minutes.
The new road from the village of Orto-Sai to 7 April Street, as well as the extension of Zhukeev-Pudovkin Street, will significantly simplify ambulance exits, as they currently face traffic jams on Chingiz Aitmatov Avenue and Baytik Baatyr Street. When the station in "Ak-Orgo" was opened, the time to Ala-Too and Ak-Ordo was reduced to 10–15 minutes.
— The vehicle fleet is managed by the ministry, while we are responsible for the doctors. We currently have 83 vehicles, of which 30% are not operational. This year, the ministry plans to transfer 40 new ambulances to us in two phases, which will significantly simplify our work. The city administration has allocated buildings in the villages of Maevka and Jal, but they need repairs, so these stations are not yet open. A new station will be opened in "Kok-Jar," which will serve five teams, and 18 new vehicles will be sent there.
— We have implemented an automated system that significantly improves coordination. It allows tracking the movement of teams in real-time and directs the nearest available team to the call. However, we only have 8 dispatchers, which creates problems during peak hours when there is a queue. After the opening of the new station on Suerkulova Street, the dispatcher staff will increase to 24. The minister has instructed to add 8 new employees, which will improve the situation. On average, we receive about 1,500 calls a day, of which 160–180 are consultations.
Implementing the planned measures will significantly enhance the accessibility and quality of emergency medical services for the population.
Iskender Shayahemtov, the director of the Emergency Medical Service, answers the questions.
— We plan to open a new unit, as one of the existing points cannot cope with the increased number of high-rise buildings. The project documentation has been prepared, and construction will begin soon.
This should significantly improve the situation with ambulance arrivals.
