Medical professionals emphasize that delays in providing assistance can negatively impact patients' health and worsen the progression of diseases.
Linear accelerators are only available at the National Center for Oncology; there are no such devices in other regions, forcing patients from various areas to travel to Bishkek for radiation therapy.
Even with all three machines operational, it is extremely difficult to provide the necessary treatment to all patients. According to the National Center for Oncology, only 25.6% of patients with newly diagnosed cancer have been able to receive radiation therapy in the past five years.According to international standards, there should be at least one linear accelerator for every 300,000 people, and to serve 7 million citizens, at least 20 such devices are required.
At the time of monitoring, there were 325 patients in the center, while 35,163 cancer patients were registered.
An additional factor exacerbating the situation in oncology is the lack of specialized fixation devices necessary for effective treatment on linear accelerators and ensuring patient safety.
During the monitoring, there were no thermoplastic masks in the radiation therapy department, and the available equipment was worn out.
It is important to note that the department lacks conditions for conducting quality procedures for children, as there were no pediatric thermomasks at all.
The results of the monitoring showed that early diagnosis of cancer in the country is hampered by outdated equipment and limited technical capabilities.
The center had only one ultrasound machine and an outdated mammogram that had not been updated since 2014. There is also a shortage of angiographs and modern endoscopy and laparoscopy systems.
Funding for the oncology service is significantly lower than the actual needs of the institution.
From 2018 to 2024, about 3 million soms were allocated annually for these needs; in 2024, the amount increased to 176 million soms, and in 2025 it will amount to 800 million soms. However, for the normal functioning of the service, 4.5 billion soms are required, which is five times more than the current funding.
Moreover, cancer patients face a shortage of necessary medications, with 80 vital drug names missing from the hospital.
An analysis of medical and financial documentation showed that this is related to constant delays in supplies and insufficient purchases from the state enterprise "Kyrgyzpharmacy".
Patients report: "In the oncology hospital and throughout the country, expensive cancer treatment drugs are often unavailable. We are forced to search for and buy medications with our own money."
This situation severely violates citizens' rights to access necessary medications and quality treatment.
To fully supply the oncology service with medications, at least 2.5 billion soms are required.
Urgent measures are needed to address existing problems, revise procurement procedures, and increase funding for the oncology service.
Additionally, the National Center for Oncology needs new facilities, as the load on the inpatient department increases every year: there are two patients per bed, and some patients receive infusions while sitting in chairs.
In the regions, there are oncology departments, for example, in Osh – 15 beds, where chemotherapy and simple surgeries are performed. In Jalal-Abad, Tokmok, and Batken, only patients with mild forms of diseases are accepted, and there is not a single oncologist in the Naryn region.
Similar problems were identified in the pediatric oncology and oncological hematology department of the NCODM.
As of the end of August 2025, there were about 60 children undergoing treatment there.
The rise in new cancer cases among children raises serious concerns. If around 70 new cases were registered in 2014, the number exceeded 200 in 2023. The most common diagnoses are acute lymphoblastic leukemia, brain tumors, neuroblastomas, and nephroblastomas.
It should be noted that the increase in cases is associated not only with deteriorating health but also with improved diagnostics.
Oncologists express concern about the increasing number of refusals from treatment among children.
"They lack trust in medicine, financial resources are limited, and for religious reasons, many turn to mullahs and folk healers. One case: a child with leukemia after remission was transferred by parents to alternative treatment methods, and a year later the disease returned, and he died," report the doctors of the center.
Based on the results of the monitoring, Ombudsman Jamila Jamambaeva sent recommendations to the Cabinet of Ministers, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, and the state enterprise "Kyrgyzpharmacy" to address the identified violations.
She proposed developing a new strategy for controlling and preventing oncological diseases, as well as approving a comprehensive plan to combat oncology for 2025–2030.
Jamila Jamambaeva emphasizes the need to address the issues of treatment refusals and provide social and psychological support to families of cancer patients.
Additionally, the Ombudsman suggests allocating funding in the republican budget for the maintenance of equipment and revising the procurement conditions for medications for cancer patients.
