Bishkek is Catastrophically Lacking Ambulances

The shortage of specialized transport in Bishkek has reached critical levels and has begun to threaten national security. At a meeting of the Jogorku Kenesh on January 14, 2026, Deputy Zhanibek Abirov presented alarming facts: following a recent administrative-territorial reform, the population of the capital has increased to 1.3 million people, while only 35-40 ambulance teams are currently operational. In such conditions, medical workers are unable to respond to calls in time, putting the lives of thousands of people at risk. Despite claims of digitalization, the main obstacle to saving lives remains the lack of vehicles.

The shortage of ambulances is most acutely felt in border villages such as Maevka, Prigorodnoye, and Nizhny Ala-Archa, which have recently become part of the city. On April 23 of last year, Deputy Parkhat Tulendybaev expressed dissatisfaction that 50,000 residents of these areas have effectively been isolated from emergency medical assistance. "They are often informed about the lack of available vehicles and are advised to contact a team in Nizhny Ala-Archa or to call a private service. The cost of ordering a paid ambulance is 2,000 soms, excluding medical services," the deputy noted, adding that the existing vehicles often remain idle due to breakdowns or fuel shortages.
For the citizens of Kyrgyzstan, the situation where waiting for doctors stretches into hours has become a sad reality. As early as May 14 of last year, Deputy Bekmurza Ergeshov reported delays of up to 2-3 hours, emphasizing that sometimes medical professionals recommend that patients make their way to hospitals on their own. "There are cases when doctors advise people to go to medical facilities in their own cars. Unfortunately, there are also cases when people die on the way," he noted, suggesting that mobile teams be assigned to specific areas.

Despite journalists and experts raising this issue every year, the vehicle fleet of the "103" service remains outdated, and new vehicles that were supposed to arrive a year ago have yet to be deployed. This raises a pertinent question: could such neglect from the state be linked to the interests of private clinics?
In a situation where ground transport is facing congestion in the expanded city, Bishkek needs radical measures. If the authorities are unable to provide the city with new vehicles, it may be worth considering the use of specialized medical drones. Drones could quickly deliver doctors and defibrillators to patients in critical condition, bypassing multi-kilometer traffic jams. In saving lives, every minute counts, and the city’s ambulance service is currently losing them while waiting for spare parts and fuel.