The competition started in February 2021 among primary health care organizations of Chui, Naryn, Talas and Issyk-Kul provinces to strengthen the work of the Quality Committees, which ensure qualitative primary health care to the population. 

The competition was held by the Ministry of Health in the framework of the Swiss project "Effective Management and Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases in Kyrgyzstan".

In total 28 Family Medicine Centers and Center of General Practice participated in the contest. Based on the results of the competition, 4 Family Medicine Centers and Centers of General Medical Practice will be awarded with the following prizes funded by Switzerland:

• Grand Prize – Niva car for visiting patients;
• 1st place – laptop and 50 tonometers;
• 2nd place – laptop and 30 tonometers;
• 3rd place – laptop and 15 tonometers.

These prizes will be used to improve quality of care in the health facilities. The car will be used for increasing access to the medical services by allowing family doctors to receive patients in remote villages.

The event will be attended by representatives of the Ministry of Health of the Kyrgyz Republic, the Swiss Embassy in the Kyrgyz Republic, the Mandatory Health Insurance Fund, as well as representatives of primary health care facilities and mass media. 

The forum is organized by the joint efforts of the Ministry of Health, the Nurses Professional Association and the Swiss project “Medical Education Reforms in the Kyrgyz Republic”.

Around 250 participants are attending: among them there are key decision and policy makers, development partners, international experts, national and regional professional associations of nurses, the association of midwifes, medical colleges, practicing nurses and nurse trainers.

The participants will discuss ongoing reforms and global changes in nursing and midwifery practice and will determine a model of nursing education adapted to the needs of people and international requirements.

Since 2013, the Government of Switzerland has been financing the Medical Education Reforms project with the technical support of the Geneva University Hospitals in collaboration with a local implementing partner “Initiatives in Medical Education”.

In September 2022, the Swiss project in cooperation with the Ministries of Health and Education launched a new educational program for training nurses in Bishkek, Uzgen, Tokmok, and Naryn Medical Colleges. This experimental program promotes practice-based approach: 50% of all training hours are devoted to practice with full involvement of students in the clinical sites.