04 June 2021 12:42

Structural changes are being carried out in medical facilities of Baku and Sumgayit cities

As part of the reforms implemented in the field of healthcare, 11 medical centers have been established by the State Agency on Mandatory Health Insurance (Agency) in the districts of Baku. As a result of the structural changes that have been implemented, health facilities providing multidisciplinary inpatient and specialized polyclinic services in Baku have been placed under the control of the medical centers in the relevant area. A Clinical Medical Center, including the health facilities of Nasimi, Yasamal and Sabail districts has been established as part of the Clinical Medical Center No. 1 operating in the territory of the Nasimi district. The Medical Centers of Narimanov, Nizami, Sabunchu, Binagadi, Surakhani, Garadagh (Lokbatan), Alat (Garadagh), Khatai, Pirallahi and Khazar districts have been established in other administrative-territorial units. Due to the size of the Garadagh district territory, and in order to ensure the access of residents to medical services, two medical centers (Lokbatan, Garadagh) have been established in the district. 

Moreover, the Medical Center of Sumgayit city has been established as part of the Healthcare Department of Sumgayit city. This medical center covers 18 health facilities, 7 of which are Family Health Centers and four are city hospitals.

In the establishment of these medical centers, the population numbers in the relevant administrative territory, the number of medical workers per capita, the material and technical facilities of the health facilities, transport and other infrastructure were taken into consideration. The medical centers will operate under the control of the Administration of the Regional Medical Divisions (TABIB).

The main purpose of these structural changes is to ensure the effective organization and management of the operation of state healthсare facilities in Baku and Sumgayit cities. Centralized management, optimization of the network of healthcare facilities and efficient use of their resources are among the priorities of the reform. At the same time, it should be stated, that in the process of planning the structural changes, the results of the pilot project on the introduction of mandatory health insurance and the assessment of the capacity of health facilities were taken into consideration and the current situation was analyzed.

Araz Nasirov, Head of the Strategic Analysis Department of the Agency, said that the new centers will also determine the staffing needs of the health facilities they cover: “The purpose is to provide health facilities with qualified and professional staff. It used to be a problem to involve specialists from other hospitals as a consultant for the health facilities of any district. The structural change will allow the provision of multidisciplinary services to citizens and contribute to the proper distribution of medical workers in the health facilities. The staffing needs of health facilities are assessed and, if necessary, qualified doctors are employed. If there are more qualified doctors in one health facility in a certain area than in another, one of the specialists is transferred to a different health facility where there is a need for him/her.”

A.Nasirov added that, the establishment of medical centers will allow patients to receive services in their own administrative territories and eliminate the need to travel far from the suburbs of Baku. “Citizens will be able to easily apply to a nearby medical facility and receive medical care without wasting time. As a result of the reforms, the quality of medical services will improve and its accessibility to the population will be ensured”.