Health systems in transition : Uzbekistan

5.5 Emergency care
Since independence, emergency care services have undergone significant 
reforms, in particular with regard to hospital-based emergency care. A network 
of emergency departments has been organized throughout the country within 
the existing inpatient facilities at the 
tuman
, 
viloyat
 and national level. In rural 
areas, 
tuman
-level departments with 5 to 20 beds are generally organized 
within central 
tuman
 hospitals. In urban areas, these departments are located 
at the urban or central urban hospital. Emergency care at the 
viloyat
 level is 
represented by separate health facilities designated as 
viloyat
 emergency centres. 
At the national level, the National Emergency Centre in Tashkent serves as the 
referral point. 

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Health systems in transition
  
Uzbekistan
84
Health reforms introduced the concept of formally free and accessible 
emergency care for all, which seems to have led to an overload of emergency 
services; this is also because the emergency care system is considered to be much 
better provided with equipment, medical aids and devices, and medications than 
other public health facilities. However, as at other levels of the Uzbek health 
system, the existence of informal payments has been reported. Patients can 
also – at their own expense – call private ambulance services, which are mostly 
available in larger urban areas. Evaluations of the quality of emergency care are 
not available. Medical documentation is primarily paper-based.