Medical specialists warn that delays in providing medical assistance can worsen the condition of patients and threaten their lives.
Linear accelerators are available only at the National Center for Oncology, while such devices are absent in the regions, forcing patients from all areas to travel to Bishkek for radiation therapy.
Even with all three machines operational, ensuring timely treatment for the required number of patients remains an extremely challenging task. According to data from the National Center for Oncology, only about 25.6% of patients with a first-time diagnosed cancer were able to receive radiation therapy in the last five years.According to international standards, there should be one linear accelerator for every 300,000 people, which means that for 7 million citizens, at least 20 machines are needed.
During the inspection, there were 325 patients at the National Center for Oncology and Hematology, while there are 35,163 registered cancer patients.
The situation is exacerbated by a lack of specialized fixation devices necessary for accurately positioning patients during treatment with linear accelerators, which is critical for enhancing the effectiveness of tumor targeting and the safety of procedures.
In the radiation therapy department, there were no thermoplastic masks during the monitoring, and the available equipment was in worn condition.
Moreover, the department lacks the capability to conduct full procedures for children, as pediatric thermomasks are completely absent.
The monitoring findings indicate that discussing early cancer diagnosis in the country is difficult due to outdated equipment and limited technical capabilities.
There was only one ultrasound machine and one mammogram device in the center, which has not been updated since 2014. There is also a shortage of angiographs and modern endoscopic systems.
The financial resources for the oncology service are clearly insufficient to meet the actual needs of the hospital.
From 2018 to 2024, only about 3 million soms were allocated annually for these needs; in 2024, the amount was increased to 176 million, and in 2025 to 800 million soms. According to information from the National Center for Oncology, 4.5 billion soms are needed for the full functioning of the service, which is five times the current funding amount.
The monitoring also revealed that cancer patients face a shortage of necessary medications.
The hospital lacked 80 names of essential medicines.
Staff from the ombudsman institute found that the problems are related to constant delays in supplies and insufficient procurement activities by the state enterprise "Kyrgyzpharmacy".
Patients report: "In the oncology hospital, as in many other institutions in the country, there are no expensive drugs necessary for cancer treatment. We are forced to seek and purchase medications at our own expense."
The current situation grossly violates citizens' rights to access necessary medications and quality treatment.
To fully supply the oncology service with medications, at least 2.5 billion soms will be required.
The situation demands urgent measures, a review of procurement procedures, and increased funding for the oncology service.
Additionally, the National Center for Oncology needs new facilities.
Every year, there is an increasing burden on the inpatient department: effectively, there are two patients per bed, some of whom receive infusions while sitting in a chair.
Oncology departments in the regions, such as in Osh, have only 15 beds, where chemotherapy and simple operations are performed. In Jalal-Abad, Tokmok, and Batken, only patients with mild forms of diseases are accepted, and there is not a single oncologist in the Naryn region.
The monitoring of the pediatric oncology and oncohematology department of the NCOPH also revealed similar problems.
As of the end of August 2025, about 60 children were receiving treatment in the NCOPH hospitals.
The increase in new cases of cancer among children raises serious concerns. While around 70 new cases were registered per year in 2014, in 2023, their number exceeded 200. The most common diagnoses are acute lymphoblastic leukemia, brain tumors, neuroblastoma, and nephroblastoma.
It should be noted that the rise in incidence is not only due to an increase in diseases but also to improved diagnostics.
Oncologists express concern about cases of refusal of treatment among children.
Doctors note: "Parents lack trust in medicine, they cannot afford treatment, and for religious reasons, many turn to folk healers. We have encountered situations where parents took children with leukemia after remission and switched them to alternative methods of treatment. A year later, the disease progressed, and the child died."
Based on the results of the monitoring, ombudsman Jamila Jamambaeva sent recommendations to the government, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Health, and the state enterprise "Kyrgyzpharmacy" to address the identified problems.
The ombudsman proposed developing a new strategy for the control and prevention of oncological diseases and approving a comprehensive plan to combat oncology for 2025–2030.
Jamila Jamambaeva emphasizes the need to address issues of treatment refusal, as well as to provide social and psychological support to families facing oncological diseases.
Additionally, the ombudsman suggests allocating funds in the republican budget for the maintenance of equipment and reviewing the procurement conditions for medications for cancer patients.
