The objectives stipulated in the State Health Programme, which was elaborated under the leadership of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, namely the prevention of diseases, improvement of average longevity of people, quality of medical services, are efficiently solved by the construction of medical facilities, development of pharmaceutical industry, sanatorium sphere, improvement of the training of specialists of this sphere.
The Programme became the base for deeper modernization of national system of health protection and for entering of new levels. Our country took integrated measures for assertion of the principles of healthy life style, prevention of diseases, introduction of medical innovations. Turkmenistan has also established wide and active international cooperation in this sphere.
No matter how outstanding are the achievements of the world medicine, the application of advanced technologies in such important sphere as the protection of human health requires relative qualification of specialists and high-level professionals.
Training of personnel and improvement of quality of modern medical services provided in our country are the main directions of international partnership in this sphere.
Due to the open door policy pursued by the President of Turkmenistan, friendly and fraternal relations are strengthened with foreign states. The partnership in health protection sphere is steadily developed with such countries as Germany, Japan, Austria, USA, republic of Korea, Russia, Belarus, Turkey and other.
Cooperation in health protection sphere was among priority subjects during working visits of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to these states. It gave great impulse to cooperation and exchange of practices in this sphere.
New levels of development of the health protection system of Turkmenistan, particularly the implementation of the achievements of the world medical practice, further improvement of the contacts with competent international structures and foreign medical facilities have been outlined in the State Health Programme in 2015.
At the same time, the Head of the State set high quality of medical services and their availability by the citizens as the main target of this large-scale work.
The efforts of the President of Turkmenistan laid solid foundation of the cooperation with the Federative Republic of Germany in the main directions of health protection and today, this big systematic joint work brings significant results.
For example, new methods of diagnostics, treatment and surgical intervention with minimum injuries have been implemented to medical practice of our country in the result of bilateral exchange of practices.
Scientific and practical conferences and training seminars are regularly held for Turkmen doctors with the participation of the specialists of the Senior Experts Service of Germany as well as professors from the leading German clinics.
Medical facilities, which are built and reconstructed in Turkmenistan, are provided with high technology equipment that considerably increase the capabilities of doctors and improve medical response to the patients in the result of many years of cooperation with the leading German companies the producers of medical equipment like Drager, Fresenius and Siemens.
It includes innovative devices for the patients with renal failure, units improving the activity of immediate care service as well as specialized vehicles.
Bilateral forums, which allowed outlining the most topical issues in medicine, arranging the development of scientifically based decisions, became one of the formats of development of Turkmen German cooperation. The success of such dialog made it traditional.
I Turkmen German forum was held in Grosshadern Clinic of the Ludwig-Maximilians Munich University of Germany on November 21 22, 201. The objectives of cooperation in health protection sphere have been discussed back then and the Memorandum outlining specific directions of the partnership has been signed.
II Turkmen German Forum was held in Turkmenistan on April 27, 2012. The session gave impulse to further consolidation of professional relations between medical communities of two countries and to realization of planned measures on the expansion of cooperation.
III Turkmen German Forum was held in Robert Kosch University in Berlin, Germany on February 22, 2013. The issues of practicing of Turkmen medics have been reflected during constructive dialog. Negotiations on construction of new health protection facilities for improvement of medical science in Turkmenistan have been held with German businessmen.
IV Turkmen German Forum has brought together the specialists of two countries in Ashgabat on September 30 October 1, 2014.It evaluated the efficiency of qualification improvement courses given for health protection personnel of our country in the leading clinics of Germany.
It also reviewed the issues of resistance to antibacterial drugs, which is current problem in the world today.Round table consultations with German scientists have been held on the guarantee of quality of medical services, which is the main requirement of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov to medical facilities in Turkmenistan.
V Turkmen German forum was held in Murnau, Germany November 5 6, 2015. It reviewed such subjects as prevention and control of internal clinic infections, leukaemia in child oncology, aid during diabetes, treatment of burn wounds. The plans of construction of new profile medical facilities and hospitals for further improvement of national health protection system have also been discussed.
German practice in the first medical aid, use of new technologies in treatment of the patients with burns, in traumatology as well as capabilities of small aircrafts (helicopters) in emergency medicine, radiology for fast diagnostics, modern cardiac surgical equipment has been highlighted base on the example of Traumatology Centre in Murnau.
Next, VI Turkmen German Forum was held in our country on November 4 5, 2016. It outlined the methods of prevention and treatment of non-infectious diseases. Specialists of two countries were discussing the issues of diabetes, haematology, child oncology, endocrinology, metabolism, resistance to antibacterial drugs in different directions of medicine.
International Centre of Endocrinology and Surgery of the Directorate of International Medical Centres of Turkmenistan has been opened on September 1, 2017 with the participation of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov.
German professors and specialists have been invited to the opening ceremony.They gave high feedback on the capabilities of the centre.It was the evidence of the fact of implementation of the proposals discussed at the forums.
In general, around 80 professors and doctors from Germany including 30 specialists of the Senior Experts Service have visited our country last year.
Joint interdepartmental working committee including the representatives of advanced German clinics, Turkmen Ministries of Health Protection and Medical Industry and Education, specialists and lecturers of Indira Ghandi State Medical College has been formed to study the establishment of specialized secondary educational institute for training of physiotherapists. Three sessions of this committee have been held and resulted in relative proposals.
Around 30 German doctors arrived especially to our country to participate together with local specialists in medical provision of V Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games, which were successfully held in Ashgabat in September 2017.
International cooperation in health protection sphere, which is developing under the support and patronage of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, continue expanding in 2018, held under slogan “Turkmenistan the Heart of the Great Silk Road”, as well.
VII Turkmen German Forum held in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding in cooperation between the Federal Ministry of Health Protection of Germany and the ministry of Health Protection and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan as well as with the Agreement on Cooperation between the Ministry of Health Protection and Medical Industry of Turkmenistan and Grosshadern Clinic of the Ludwig-Maximilians Munich University took place in Berlin on March 5 6 this year.
Achieved levels in health protection sphere of both countries have been discussed and new perspective directions have been reviewed at the forum.
The sides paid special attention to child orthopaedics and physiotherapy as well as to new technologies applied in these fields, to development and implementation of innovative diagnostics, treatment and rehabilitation methods, prevention of stable disability of the patients and achievement of medical, economic and social efficiency by this.
VII Turkmen German Forum on Health Protection has demonstrated the importance of intensification of active contacts between scientific and business circles of two countries, having confirmed their commitment to specific results and given the opportunity to define further ways of cooperation for entering of new level of the partnership.
Undoubtedly, systematic similar events supported the achievement of success in Turkmen health protection system and in international cooperation initiated by President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov as the most important direction of development of national medicine.
This is related to scientific side and medical practice as well as to organization, equipment and facilities components where the efficiency of the whole process depends on constructive solutions.
For example, recommendations of German professors have been taken into account during construction of Scientific and Clinical Centre of Mother and Child Health Protection, International Centre of Neurology, International Centre of Endocrinology and Surgery.
Partnership in health protection has also been established with Japan.The Memorandum on Cooperation between the Ministry of Health Protection and Medical industry of Turkmenistan and Japanese organization Medical Excellence Japan (MEJ) has been signed on October 23, 2015.
There are also fruitful contacts with Japanese company Toshiba Medical, such famous producers of x-ray, ultrasound and endoscopic equipment as Olympus, Pentax and Fujinon, which production was and continued to be installed in new medical facilities of the country including those, which are built under national rural programme.
Joint work with Japanese companies producing medicine and medical equipment is also carried out.
Japanese specialists also participate in the exhibitions, scientific and practical conferences dedicated to health protection in Turkmenistan. Group of Turkmen doctors made several working visits to advanced clinics of Japan for improvement of the quality of medical services provided to the population. The activity in this direction is continued.
Cooperation under joint Turkmen Austrian working group is another example of constructive international partnership. 9 sessions of the group have been held both in Turkmenistan and Austria from the moment of its foundation.
Regular meetings support the definition of key directions of cooperation and bringing of the relations to new level.Great attention is paid to health protection sphere under the sessions of Turkmen Austrian Joint Committee for Trade and Economic Cooperation.
President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov also pays great attention to Austrian direction of medical partnership including on technologies level.Profile clinics of the Direction of International Medical Centres of Turkmenistan and other advance medical facilities of the country has medical instruments of such famous Austrian companies as Askin&Co, Hospitalia International, VAMED Engineering, which not just supply the equipment but also provides the service and training of personnel for our country.
Bilateral cooperation is carried out in the format of conferences, congresses and seminars.
At present time, telemedicine, methods of distant electronic education meeting modern requirements are implemented in our country according to the instructions of the President of Turkmenistan. It causes the necessity of specialists in this sphere. Training of personnel in telemedicine, organization of conferences and digitization of medical equipment in one of the objectives of cooperation with developed countries.
Therefore, consolidation of the efforts of the states on the level of intergovernmental structures, certain departments and institutes, specialists in the solution of topical issues of medical science and practice allows the participants of such cooperation achieving joint progress and use.
Actively developed international cooperation of Turkmenistan in health protection sphere is multidimensional activity, which takes the important place in home and foreign policy of President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov who place the prosperity of the nation as the main goal.