Foreigners are increasingly choosing Kazakhstan for medical treatment, largely due to the significantly lower cost of healthcare services compared to Europe, North America, South Korea, and the Gulf countries. This was stated in Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s response to an inquiry from Qurultay deputies, Qazinform News Agency reports.
“Medical tourism has emerged as one of the promising strategic areas contributing to the competitiveness of the national healthcare system, the expansion of international cooperation and the strengthening of Kazakhstan’s position in the global medical services market,” the Prime Minister’s response reads.
Bektenov also noted that comprehensive measures are being taken to develop medical tourism in line with the President’s directive. According to him, foreign patients show strong demand for services in cardiac surgery, oncology, transplantation, reproductive medicine, orthopedics, ophthalmology, dentistry and medical rehabilitation.
In his words, Kazakhstan is developing a unified Central Asian medical hub based on its existing modern system of high-tech medical care. “This hub will help position Kazakhstan as a regional center for advanced medical services and innovation for neighboring countries.
According to Bektenov, 10 medical institutions in Kazakhstan currently hold Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. Seven of them are located in Astana and three in Almaty. In 2025, 4,488 foreign patients underwent medical treatment in Kazakhstan. The largest numbers were recorded in Almaty (2,685), Astana (1,396), and Shymkent (300).
Earlier, it was reported that Kazakhstan’s first homegrown anti-cancer drug was set to enter the market in mid-2027.