The examination and treatment of oncological diseases are planned to be carried out in private medical institutions in Azerbaijan. This issue is reflected in the draft law on amendments to the Law “On Oncological Aid”, which was discussed at the last plenary session of the Milli Majlis.
However, an important point is that official permission has not yet been granted to private hospitals for providing oncological services. The draft law is in the discussion stage, and even if adopted, private clinics will only be able to operate in this field if they possess the appropriate material and technical base, modern medical equipment, qualified oncologists, and based on separate license addendums.
In other words, as a result, the provision of oncological aid by private hospitals is not fully based on legal grounds for today, but if the law amendments are adopted, this opportunity will be created within a legal framework.
Modern.az, considering the topicality of the issue, investigated the existence of oncology departments and services in several private medical institutions. During our inquiry, it was revealed that some medical institutions provide oncological aid on a paid basis and have oncologist staff in the relevant field, even though the draft law has not been approved.
It was reported by "Liv Bona Dea" Hospital that oncological services are available at the medical institution. Currently, an oncologist, an oncogynecologist, and a pediatric oncologist are working at the hospital.
According to information from "Baku Medical Plaza", work is currently underway to open an oncology department, and this service is planned to commence operations in the near future.
It was reported by Modern Hospital that oncological examinations are not carried out at the institution, and there is no oncologist staff.
According to investigations, oncological services are also provided at MedEra Hospital, and there are two oncologist positions here. One of them is an oncologist, and the other is a surgeon-oncologist.
In addition, one surgeon-oncologist position is active at the Biological Medicine Integrative Treatment Center.
However, Avrasiya Hospital and WEST Hospital do not have oncology departments or services.
In accordance with our investigations, to determine whether the operation of oncological services in the aforementioned private medical institutions legally violates the requirements of the legislation, we sought the opinions of Mushfig Mammadli and Malahat Ibrahimkizi, members of the Health Committee of the Milli Majlis.
Mushfig Mammadli stated in his comment to our website that the activities of private medical institutions related to the examination and treatment of oncological diseases cannot be considered fully legally justified as long as they are not explicitly provided for in the Law “On Oncological Aid”.
“The very fact of amending the law indicates that, until now, the mechanism of private sector participation in this field has not been clearly and separately regulated by a legal framework. In this regard, the current provision of oncological services in some private clinics is at least legally debatable, and the amendment to the law serves to ensure that these activities are carried out on transparent and controlled legal grounds in the future.”
The deputy also emphasized that, in general, it is not just about oncological services, oncological aid, or oncologists. According to him, the issue is related to the legal regulation of the activities of medical institutions as a whole:
“Thus, when a medical institution obtains a license, a special additional document is provided along with that license, which specifies what medical services the institution can provide. This addendum must accurately reflect the fields of medicine in which the institution can operate, its current statuses, and the right to provide specific qualified medical aid. Providing services not included in the mentioned list is considered a violation of legislation,” M. Mammadli added.
Member of the Milli Majlis, Malahat Ibrahimkizi, believes that the main goal of the draft law is not to limit the treatment of oncological patients to state hospitals only, but also to create opportunities for this service to be provided in private clinics.
“As we know, today there is a high increase in oncological patients worldwide, even in the most developed countries. In this sense, in Azerbaijan too, state hospitals providing oncological services experience serious congestion, long queues, and a large number of patients. This creates certain problems in terms of both accessibility and patients' choice options.
Creating a legal basis for the provision of oncological services in private medical institutions, on the one hand, ensures easier access to treatment for patients and creates choices for them, and on the other hand, fosters a competitive environment among medical institutions. This approach enables private clinics to develop oncological services, strengthen their provision with modern medical equipment and supplies, and at the same time, create opportunities for attracting highly qualified and experienced oncologists.”
The deputy added that, undoubtedly, within the legislative framework, oncological services in private clinics are intended to be organized only in departments or units that meet certain standards:
“That is, not every private hospital can operate in this field. For this, an appropriate material and technical base, modern equipment, and professional human resources potential must be ensured.
Thus, the created legal basis facilitates the formation of oncology departments that meet high standards in private medical institutions in the future. If these conditions are met, oncological patients will be able to apply to these clinics,” M. Ibrahimkizi noted.
For information, according to the draft law, oncological aid will be carried out in specialized state medical institutions, as well as in private medical institutions that have obtained a license in accordance with the Law “On Licenses and Permits” (in accordance with the license addendum).
