At a briefing held in Bishkek, experts discussed the current funding for mental health, as well as programs and measures supporting specialists.
Boris Li, a psychiatrist at Family Medicine Center No. 6, noted that funding for mental health in Kyrgyzstan amounts to only 0.1% to 0.4% of the total healthcare budget. In comparison, in low- and middle-income countries, this figure reaches 1-2%, while in developed countries it ranges from 5% to 10% and higher.
“The question arises: why is the mental health of citizens in Italy, France, or Spain valued more than that of Kyrgyz people? I do not find this justified. People in Kyrgyzstan have the right to professional help to maintain their mental health,” said Boris Li.
Acting Director of the Republican Center for Psychiatry and Narcology, Zhanibek Ajibekov, informed about the existing state program for mental health protection, relevant for 2018-2030. He added that a plan has already been developed and work in this direction is ongoing.
Nurgul Ibraeva, head of the Primary Health Care Department of the Ministry of Health, emphasized that mental health is now officially included in the list of major non-communicable diseases that lead to high morbidity and disability.
She noted that the low salary level has long negatively affected the number of specialists in the field of psychiatry.
“Salary is a key factor in retaining specialists in their positions. In this regard, along with programs to support psychiatrists and psychologists, a multidisciplinary team has been created that receives incentive payments,” she added.
Erkingul Dyusheeva, a representative of the Mandatory Health Insurance Fund, explained that to improve the quality of care for patients with mental disorders at the outpatient level, an order was approved for the implementation of funding for such cases.
According to her, this document proposes incentives for primary healthcare medical workers and members of multidisciplinary teams for identifying patients and monitoring the implementation of recommendations.
“To account for and monitor patients, an electronic medical record has been created, where psychiatrists and family doctors document observations and treatment. For this work, family doctors and nurses receive incentive payments of 6,000 soms. The multidisciplinary team includes a psychiatrist, psychologist, and nurses. The team receives 12,000 soms for managing one patient over the course of a year,” she clarified.
Zhanibek Ajibekov also noted that inpatient treatment for one patient costs the state about 50,000 soms, while the work of multidisciplinary teams allows reducing these costs to 1,000 soms, which helps decrease the number of hospitalizations.
He added that currently such teams operate in 17 locations across the republic. Initially, this was a pilot project that is planned to be expanded to all family medicine centers; however, this process is slow due to a lack of personnel and funding.
Boris Li also noted that mental disorders create a significant economic burden for the state.
“People with mental disorders often become economically inactive due to temporary or permanent disability, which costs the state about 0.4% of GDP. At the same time, according to the World Health Organization, every som invested in mental health brings nine soms in economic benefits,” he concluded.
