Improvement of the human resource management system of healthcare in the Republic of Kazakhstan

The article examines the problems of medical workforce management in the healthcare system of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This issue has remained relevant for many years. Despite government programs and ongoing reforms, the shortage of healthcare professionals persists. The situation varies across regions. Some regions face a greater shortage of specialists, while in others the staffing situation is better. The difference between urban and rural areas is particularly noticeable. Another problem is related to the age of healthcare workers. The number of older physicians is gradually increasing, and in the coming years some of them will need to be replaced by younger specialists. The purpose of the study is to identify the main problems of medical workforce management and propose measures that can be used to address them. The results of the study show that the need for healthcare professionals is not always planned several years in advance. The overall workforce shortage is gradually decreasing, but shortages of certain specialists in the regions still persist. The scientific novelty of the study lies in examining the workforce situation separately across regions and taking into account the need for specific specialists. The overall number of healthcare workers alone is not sufficient for this purpose. It is important to consider which specialists are needed in a particular region, how long vacancies remain unfilled, and why healthcare workers leave their jobs. As a result, workforce decisions can be made based on the actual situation in a particular region rather than only on general indicators for the healthcare system. The practical significance of the study is that the proposed measures can be used by government authorities and healthcare organizations to determine the need for specialists, plan workforce management activities, and develop measures to attract and retain healthcare professionals in the regions.

1. Postanovlenie Pravitel’stva Respubliki Kazahstan ot 26 dekabrja 2019 goda № 982 «Ob utverzhdenii Gosudarstvennoj programmy razvitija zdravoohranenija Respubliki Kazahstan na 2020 – 2025 gody». Utratilo silu postanovleniem Pravitel’stva Respubliki Kazahstan ot 12 oktjabrja 2021 g. No. 725 (data obrashhenija: 22.05.2025) (In Russian)

2. Ob utverzhdenii Koncepcii razvitija zdravoohranenija Respubliki Kazahstan do 2026 goda: postanovlenie Pravitel’stva Respubliki Kazahstan ot 24 nojabrja 2022 g. No. 945. (data obrashhenija: 22.05.2025) (In Russian)

3. Deficit vrachej v Kazahstane snizilsja na 19 % po itogam 2024 goda // Oficial’nyj sajt Ministerstva zdravoohranenija Respubliki Kazahstan. URL: https://www.gov.kz/memleket/entities/dsm/press/news/details/948092?lang=ru (data obrashhenija: 22.05.2025) (In Russian)

4. Koikov V., Baigozhina, Z., Abdrakhmanova A., Kabdullina G., Mergentai A., & Derbissalina G. (2020) Improving the system continuous professional development of the health workers // European Journal of Public Health, no. 30, pp. 41–54. (accessed: 21.05.2025) (In English)

5. Judina Ja.O. (2020) Sistema upravlenija personalom // Molodoj uchenyj. No. 48(338). Р. 574–575. (data obrashhenija: 26.05.2025) (In Russian)

6. Ivanova A.I. (2015) Sovershenstvovanie sistemy upravlenija personalom v zdravoohranenii // Jekonomika i upravlenie: analiz tendencij i perspektiv razvitija. No. 18. Р. 134–137. (data obrashhenija: 26.05.2025) (In Russian)

7. Prisenko V.G., Mahkamova Z.R., Demarko A.V. (2018) Optimizacija upravlenija personalom s ispol’zovaniem jekonomiko-matematicheskogo modelirovanija // Medicina. No. 3. Р. 7681. URL: https://cyberleninka.ru/article/n/optimizatsiya-upravleniya-personalom-s-ispolzovaniem-ekonomikomatematicheskogo-modelirovaniya?ysclid=mtsp1sc3s4142401695 (data obrashhenija: 04.06.2026) (In Russian)

8. Panfilov A.I., Abdullaev R.A. (2016) Puti povyshenija jeffektivnosti upravlenija personalom na predprijatii // Innovacionnaja nauka. No. 4–1(16). (data obrashhenija: 07.06.2026) (In Russian)

9. Samoili S., Lopez Cobo M., Delipetrev B., Martinez-Plumed F. (2021) Towards an operational definition and taxonomy of AI for the AI landscape // Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. URL: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/363538481_AI_Watch_Defining_Artificial_Intelligence_20_Towards_an_operational_definition_and_taxonomy_of_AI_for_the_AI_landscape (accessed: 07.06.2026) (In English)

10. Abdrahmanov A.Je. (2016) Teoreticheskie aspekty osnov teorii nravstvennogo vospitanija v Kazahstane // Problemy pedagogiki. No. 2(13). Р. 52–54. (data obrashhenija: 26.06.2026) (In Russian)

11. Mortikov V.V. (2022) Upravlenie personalom v uslovijah deficita kadrov // Voprosy upravlenija. No. 1(74). Р. 243–248. (data obrashhenija: 27.06.2026) (In Russian)

12. Legostaeva A.A., Dzhazykbaeva B.K. (2021) Kadrovaja politika v sisteme zdravoohranenija Kazahstana // Vestnik RUK. No. 3(45). Р. 118–124. (data obrashhenija: 27.06.2026) (In Russian)

13. Zhuravleva A.V., Korkeshko O.N. (2016) Sistema upravlenija personalom: ponjatie, podhody i jelementy // Teorija i praktika sovremennoj nauki. No. 12–1(18). Р. 43–246. (data obrashhenija: 01.07.2026) (In Russian)

14. Mulesa O., Snytiuk V., Myroniuk І. (2019) Information Technology for Optimization the Personnel Potential of a Health Care Institution // Visnyk of Vinnytsia Politechnical Institute, no. 147(6), pp. 83–90. (accessed: 01.07.2026) (In English)

15. Barnow B.S., Trutko J., Piatak J.S. (2013). Occupational Labor Shortages: Concepts, Causes, Consequences, and Cures. Kalamazoo. W.E. Upjohn Institute, no. 14, pp. 201–206. (accessed: 01.07.2026) (In English)

16. Chojnicki X., Moullan Y. (2018) Is there a‘pig cycle’ in the labour supply of doctors? How training and immigration policies respond to physician shortages // Social Science & Medicine, no. 200, pp. 227–237. (accessed: 01.07.2027) (In English)