Tea money will become legal in medicine in Kyrgyzstan

A new proposal to legalize giving “tips” to medical workers is being discussed in Kyrgyzstan. This was reported by Zamin.uz.

Justice Minister Ayaz Bayetov put forward the proposal to introduce a “voluntary additional payment” system at the interdepartmental commission meeting held on August 19. According to the minister, this system must be completely transparent.

Payments should only be made through cash registers, after the service has been provided, and must not exceed the established limit. Ayaz Bayetov considered the opinion that “tips given to waiters are a good habit, but those given to doctors are considered bribery” to be incorrect.

He emphasized that to prevent the payment system from becoming commercialized, patients should not be required to pay before the service is provided. It was also stated that patients can refuse to pay, and documents regarding “voluntariness” should be signed after the service.

Health Minister Erkin Checheybayev also supported this proposal, noting that payments should only be voluntary and made through cash registers. According to him, part of the collected funds can be spent on developing the hospital, while the rest can be used to financially motivate doctors, nurses, and sanitary workers.

This initiative is aimed at preventing bribery in the healthcare sector and improving the quality of services.