Kazakhstan's digital health records show phantom diagnoses and paper treatments
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
A Kostanay resident found a false epilepsy diagnosis and hospital treatment record in her Damumed app. The Finance Ministry reported a doctor in Astana who saw 4,832 patients in a month and over 768,000 men screened for cervical cancer. The Social Health Insurance Fund says no payment was made for the woman's case, but audits continue to uncover hundreds of thousands of unconfirmed services.
Key Facts
- A Kostanay woman found a false epilepsy diagnosis and a record of day-hospital treatment in her Damumed app.
- The Finance Ministry reported a private clinic doctor in Astana who saw 4,832 patients in one month.
- Audits found over 768,000 men screened for cervical cancer and 11,123 such screenings in one Almaty region hospital.
- The Social Health Insurance Fund said no payment was made for the Kostanay woman's hospitalization record.
Phantom Diagnoses
Nelli Dubovik of Kostanay found an epilepsy diagnosis and a discharge summary in her Damumed medical data that she never received. Polyclinic No. 5, where Dubovik is registered, announced an internal investigation into possible misuse of budget funds. The Social Health Insurance Fund said the day-hospital record was entered into the information system but no payment was requested or transferred.
Audit Findings
In January 2026, the government released results of a large-scale audit of the Social Health Insurance Fund. Finance Minister Madi Takiyev reported a private clinic doctor in Astana who consulted 4,832 patients in a month and another who saw nearly 1,500 patients in one working day. The audit found 70,000 fictitious prescriptions for children and 3,000 drug write-offs for a single patient in one day. Medical services were recorded for 996 deceased patients, including a 2025 appointment for a man who died two years earlier.
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