Sick leave certificates in Kazakhstan: Healthcare minister makes statement

Tengrinews.kz - A decree has already been signed in Kazakhstan to transition sick leave certificates to electronic format, though the process is being implemented gradually, according to Minister of Healthcare Akmaral Alnazarova.
On the sidelines of a government meeting, a Tengrinews.kz correspondent asked when Kazakhstanis would be able to receive sick leave certificates online. The minister replied that the transition is proceeding smoothly, but people can already request their certificates online today.

“In fact, we have already signed the relevant decree, but its implementation is being phased in across medical organizations, so every citizen has the full right to request their sick leave certificate online,” Alnazarova said.

According to the minister, a transition period is currently in effect, but paper-based certificates will be completely phased out in the future.

“The second stage — currently, both forms are in circulation, paper and electronic. Now we must gradually complete the transition period and move fully to issuing sick leave certificates only online. It will just take some time. But legally and normatively, we have already established and finalized everything,” the minister explained.

When asked about the timeline for the full digital transition, Alnazarova responded that the functionality is essentially already available:

“This functionality has already been implemented today in medical information systems. A sick leave certificate can be obtained electronically. The other issue is that both forms — paper and electronic — still exist, so patients do not always understand. But in principle, if there is a need to obtain an electronic sick leave certificate, that right is fully available today,” the minister added.

Previously, the Ministry of Healthcare announced that paramedics in Astana and Almaty had started using smart video badges.