Doctors in Kazakhstan may be forbidden to write on paper

Minister of Health and Social Development of Kazakhstan Tamara Duisenova declared that filling of paper documents will eliminated from Kazakh medical organisations' practices starting from April 1, 2015, Tengrinews reports.

"Starting from April, making documents on paper will longer be allowed in the medical organisations were doctors have workstations, except for outpatient clinic folders," Duysenova said at the meeting of the Ministry.

The Minister said that the decision came in response to numerous complaints of patients, who felt that they were being neglected while their doctors were filling out papers instead of listening to their complaints.

Apparently, now the doctors will be typing their observations on tabs and computers. Is this supposed to draw attention back to the patients?

The new rule for practicing doctors was introduced in response to the general recommendation made by the President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev to eliminate or reduce paperwork in state agencies. "Look at how much paper is circulating in the ministries of education and healthcare. Get rid of all this paper," he said. 

The Ministry of Healthcare of Kazakhstan is now developing a new state program for health development for 2016-2020, and it is yet to be seen what novelties it has got in store for doctors and patients. 

Reporting by Assemgul Kassenova, writing by Dinara Urazova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina