Corruption risks in healthcare do not appear only during public procurement. They can arise as early as the stage of allocating funding, forming needs, or deciding which medical service the state will pay for. This is written by economist Ruslan Sultanov in a new series titled "Anatomy of Corruption." This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

Healthcare is not an expenditure item but a full-fledged industry

According to him, it is mistaken to perceive healthcare only as an expenditure item of the budget. It is a full-fledged sector of the economy that includes hospitals and clinics, pharmaceuticals, laboratories, medical device manufacturing, private medicine, insurance, construction, equipment, digital systems, and logistics.

The sector's contribution to the economy

According to the Bureau of National Statistics, current revenues of healthcare and social service organizations in Kazakhstan in 2025 amounted to 4.2 trillion tenge. The gross value added of this activity, according to a preliminary estimate by the BNS, reached about 2.9 trillion tenge, or 1.8% of GDP.

At the same time, the impact of healthcare on the economy is broader than its direct contribution to GDP. Health status determines how much and how productively people can work, and the sector itself creates demand for medicines, equipment, technology, research, construction, and qualified specialists.

"Therefore, for me, healthcare is not a 'hole' where the state constantly sends money," the economist notes.

The high cost of corruption

Sultanov believes that corruption in this sphere is especially costly. The loss of a billion tenge means not only the loss of budget funds but also foregone equipment, medicines, trained specialists, and ultimately the quality and accessibility of medical care.

The economist plans to examine the system at different levels – from the ministry and the region to the hospital, the chief physician, the head of department, the doctor, and the patient. Separately, he intends to analyze the procurement of medicines and equipment, construction, laboratories, private clinics, financing of medical services, and business around state medicine.

According to him, at each level there is its own money, authority, and scarce resources, and therefore its own corruption risks.

Risks before the tender

Sultanov notes that corruption is not always associated with the direct transfer of money. A decision that creates a corruption opportunity may appear long before a tender is announced – when setting rules, allocating funding, appointing a manager, forming needs, or determining the medical service that the state will pay for.

"I will look exactly there. Each episode – one level or one mechanism."

Within the series, the economist intends to analyze who makes the decision, what exactly they control, where money appears, and who benefits from influencing the decision. Separately, he promises to examine international practice and ways to detect such schemes.

At the same time, Sultanov emphasizes that a high price tag or the presence of a single supplier does not in itself prove corruption. The same applies to an unsuccessful management decision.

"A red flag is a reason to ask questions, not to pass a verdict."

The first episode of the series will be devoted to the ministry. According to Sultanov, it will show how a corruption risk can arise even before the state announces its first tender.

Earlier, "Kursiv" wrote about how the NSC uncovered more than 200 facts of corruption over two summer months.