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Tengrinews.kz – Kazakhstan's Ministry of Health is set to implement new rules for mobile medical teams handling non-critical emergency calls from May 1.
The changes will affect how fourth-priority medical calls - those that do not pose an immediate threat to life - are processed, the ministry said in a statement on April 21. Officials emphasized that the right to call emergency services by dialing 103 remains unchanged for all citizens.
Under the updated regulations:
- Mobile primary healthcare teams attached to outpatient clinics will handle fourth-priority cases, such as high blood pressure, fever, or minor injuries, during clinic working hours (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.);
- These calls will be redirected from ambulance crews to clinic-based teams during the day;
- After 8:00 p.m. and on weekends, all emergency calls - including those of the fourth category - will continue to be managed by ambulance crews, as before.
According to the Health Ministry, over 50% of all ambulance calls fall under the fourth-priority category and often relate to chronic disease flare-ups. Officials say these cases can drain critical resources needed for patients in life-threatening situations. The updated system aims to reduce ambulance response times and improve the overall efficiency of emergency medical services.
Mobile teams will also be involved in scheduled home visits, providing continued monitoring for patients with chronic conditions. These teams are allocated at a ratio of one per 25,000 residents and operate based on the patient's location - regardless of clinic registration.
In complex cases, these teams can include pediatricians for children and specialized doctors such as cardiologists or neurologists for adults.
Emergency care via the 103 hotline remains fully operational. In life-threatening situations, ambulance crews will continue to respond immediately, regardless of the time or day.
Response times will vary based on urgency: up to 10 minutes for first-priority calls, 15 minutes for second, 30 minutes for third, and up to 60 minutes for fourth-priority calls.
In the first quarter of 2025, ambulance services responded to more than 2.1 million calls across the country. Of these, over 763,000 were fourth-priority calls, with more than 518,000 handled by mobile primary care teams. First-priority cases totaled around 104,000; second-priority, 642,000; and third-priority, 574,000.
The ministry also reported an increase in successful resuscitations, with a 55.6% success rate - a positive sign of improved emergency care quality.
Authorities stress that emergency care remains accessible for all. The changes, they say, are designed to boost system efficiency and provide faster, more targeted medical services.
