Sick leave for more than two months: what will change in Kazakhstan
Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan plans to clarify the list of medical conditions that allow for sick leave exceeding two months. The corresponding draft order from the Ministry of Health has been published on the "Open NPA" portal.
Proposed Changes
The Ministry of Health, contacted for comment, explained that the list of diseases itself remains unchanged and no new conditions are being added.
The changes concern how these conditions are designated in official documents. The Ministry of Health proposes adding an International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code to each condition.
Note:An International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code is a globally recognized alphanumeric cipher used for the unified designation of medical diagnoses and conditions. It consists of a Latin letter followed by numbers (e.g., A00.0). The letter represents a specific class of diseases (22 in total). The first digit after the letter indicates a specific category, and the character after the decimal point specifies the diagnosis (subcategory).
"The changes are intended to ensure that diseases are identified clearly and consistently across the country. This will allow for more accurate identification and eliminate varying interpretations when applying the list in practice," the document states.
In simpler terms, if a disease has several forms or variants, the ICD code will help determine exactly which form belongs on the list.
Which diseases are included in the list?
The list in question has been in effect since 2015. It includes diseases that may require long-term treatment and rehabilitation.
For example, these include:
salmonella septicemia (a severe form of salmonella infection);botulism, complicated form (a dangerous infectious disease);certain forms of tuberculosis;plague;anthrax, pulmonary form;brucellosis: acute, subacute (severe), or chronic in the stage of decompensation;rabies;acute poliomyelitis (an infectious disease affecting the nervous system), and others.
The full list of diseases can be viewed here.
Public discussion of the draft will continue until October 5, 2026.