Medicines and Medical Tourism: OTS Countries Agree on Joint Procurement
In Bishkek, participants also discussed telemedicine, physician exchanges, and a pilot for electronic referrals in 2027, reports the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The sixth meeting of the health ministers of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) was held in Bishkek. Following the meeting, participants adopted a joint declaration on further cooperation.
For patients, this could mean a more streamlined process for receiving treatment abroad and subsequent follow-up care after returning home. The parties also intend to develop cross-border consultations, but the exchange of medical data must comply with national regulations and ensure the protection of personal information.
Kyrgyzstan proposed expanding programs for the training and retraining of medical workers, internships, and specialist exchanges. Among the proposals are joint educational projects and digital workforce planning to ensure decisions are made based on objective data.
Special attention was given to artificial intelligence in medicine. Its responsible use is planned to be discussed for diagnostics, medical imaging, research, and healthcare system management, with consideration for patient safety, transparency, and the preservation of physician accountability.
The declaration also includes the development of the TurkEMT initiative, cooperation within the Turkic Pharmacopoeia, exchanges of researchers and students, as well as joint projects in medical tourism, transplantology, and genomic technologies. In 2027, it is proposed to develop electronic medical referrals and records, including information about receiving clinics. The OTS countries separately agreed to develop a mechanism for joint procurement of medicines and medical devices.