Kazakhstan overhauls children's healthcare with hybrid doctor model

Kazakhstan is set to reform its children’s healthcare system with a new hybrid approach. The changes will blend the roles of pediatricians and general practitioners to improve primary care. Officials say the shift aims to balance expertise with broader patient access. The reform will keep the country’s 1,300 pediatric districts intact while expanding the role of GPs. These doctors will manage routine cases, easing pressure on specialists. Pediatricians, however, will focus on young children and complex medical conditions.

The Health Ministry plans to encourage pediatricians with performance bonuses and extra incentives. At the same time, training programmes for general practitioners will be scaled up. This dual approach ensures both specialisation and wider coverage.

Before full implementation, the model will enter a trial phase. Policymakers intend to study international examples to refine the system. The goal is a smoother transition without removing pediatricians from the workforce. The new system will rely on a mix of pediatricians and GPs to handle different levels of care. Primary healthcare will see GPs taking on more patients, while specialists concentrate on high-need cases. The reform’s success will depend on training, incentives, and lessons from the pilot phase.