Azerbaijan Health Insurance

Azerbaijan, officially the Republic of Azerbaijan, is located where Western Asia meets Eastern Europe. Its shares it borders with Russia, Georgia, Armenia and Iran and includes four main islands in the Caspian Sea. The country regained independence in 1991 when the Soviet Union collapsed. It was formally a republic known as Azerbaijan Democratic Republic from 1918 to 1920 before it was incorporated into the Soviet Union. The capital city is Baku.

The country’s population is mainly Turkic and Muslim and estimated to be approximately 8.8 million people, with approximately 3 million living and working in nearby Russia. The official language is Azerbaihani which is a Turkic language, as Azerbaijan is one of six independent Turkic states. Thirteen other languages are also spoken in Azerbaijan. The capital city of Batu is westernised however the facilities are more remote elsewhere.

Azerbaijan has an ongoing conflict with its neighbour Armenia over Nagorno-Karabaskh which resulted in a war killing approximately 30,000 people. The war ended in 1994 and now Nagorno-Karabaskh is a republic which is not diplomatically recognised by any country. This issue is not resolved and still causes much conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. The country was the first Muslim country, also ahead of the United States and the United Kingdom, to extend suffrage to women, giving them equal political rights with men.

The country’s landscape is dominated by mountains which cover approximately 40 percent of the land and includes the Greater and Lesser Caucasus, and the Talysh Mountains. Nearly half of the world’s mud volcanoes are located in Azerbaijan. It is also home to many ancient rivers and lakes. The country’s shoreline is bounded by the Caspian Sea and its centre is covered with flatlands. The landscape influences the country’s weather as the Great Caucasus mountains protect the country from cold air coming from the North giving a subtropical climate on the foothills and plains. Both extremely hot and cold climates can be found in Azerbaijan. The country is home to a great number of species of animals and plant life.

Azerbaijan’s economy is driven by oil and natural gas which can be found in two thirds of the country. The country is considered to be one of the most important in the world for oil exploration. Revenues are provided from the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and South Caucasus pipelines which began in 2006 and carry oil to the global markets. The country has signed long term contracts with many oil companies. Gold, silver, copper, titanium, chrome and magnesium can also be found in Azerbaijan near the Lesser Caucasus mountains. The banking sector in Azerbaijan used to be small despite the growing economy however restructuring has assisted to expand it. Approximately 55 percent of the country is planted for agriculture including the growing of grain, potatoes, sugar beets, grapes for wine making, cotton, tobacco and livestock.

Azerbaijan is a popular destination for tourists who are attracted to its nature and cultural attractions. The country has become popular for religious and spa tourists. English is spoken in the bustling capital city but not in the more rural areas where the lifestyle is more laid back. The hospitality is great, although the locals may be more inquisitive than some people are used to, especially if you are travelling alone.

Azerbaijan Health Care and Insurance

The medical facilities in the capital city Batu are of a good standard and similar to Western health care facilities. However, the facilities outside of the capital are considered inadequate, unsanitary and unsafe. Medical facilities often lack basic medical supplies including disposable needles and necessary vaccinations. The medications available from pharmacies in Azerbaijan are limited as not all brands and doses are stocked. Travellers to Azerbaijan should bring sufficient quantities of medication with them to ensure that they do not run out.

If you have a serious medical condition while in Azerbaijan you may need to be medically evacuated to nearby Turkey or Western Europe where the medical facilities are of a better standard. Medical evacuation can be very expensive so travellers should ensure that they have medical insurance for Azerbaijan to cover the cost.

Access to health care is a constitutional right for every citizen in Azerbaijan. In 2009 the Azerbaijan Government spent 5.8 percent of GDP on health care. The Ministry of Health (MoH) has the responsibility for managing the health care system. The burden of financing health care in Azerbaijan falls on the users who contributed 62 percent (through out of pocket expenses) of total health care expenditure in 2007. The remainder of the revenue for the healthcare system comes from Government revenue and includes money from the State Oil Fund. The district authorities fund the primary and secondary medical facilities in the country while MoH funds the territory facilities.

Primary health care facilities consist of polyclinics in the cities and districts. In the rural areas midwifes, Doctors clinics and outpatient departments of small village hospitals service the medical needs of the people. Each district has a bigger central hospital that the small village hospitals can refer patients to. Specialised clinics are also available across the country. Private medical facilities are available in the country, the number of which has been growing in the capital city Batu. The country is facing a shortage of Doctors and nurses following independence from Russia as many are attracted to the private sector.

If you require medical treatment while travelling in Azerbaijan some of the facilities in Batu are Central Clinic Hospital (telephone: 994 12 921 092), Turkish-American Medical Center (telephone 994 12 973 784) and Western Medical (telephone: 994 12 973 744).

Azerbaijan Travel Insurance Concerns

Travellers should avoid travelling to Nagorno-Karabaskh or near the border between Azerbaijan and Armenia due to the ongoing conflict between the two countries. Visitors should also ensure that their childhood vaccinations are up to date for measles/mumps and rubella (MMR), diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus and polio. It is also recommended that travellers to Azerbaijan be vaccinated against hepatitis A, hepatitis B, polio and rabies (if spending a lot of time outdoors and in rural areas away from the capital city).

Those travelling to rural areas should also take anti malarial tablets between the months of May to October and take precautions to prevent themselves from getting bitten by insects. Long tops and pants should be worn. Visitors should sleep with mosquito nets over their beds and use an insect repellent that contains DEET.

Azerbaijan is a cash society so traveller’s cheques and credit cards are only accepted at a few hotels, restaurants and supermarkets. Tourists should be careful when trying to enter or leave the country with carpets, religious materials, antiques, firearms, medications and caviar. Customs is concerned with antiques and carpets which could be considered to be of historical value to the country. People taking carpets out of the country must produce a certificate from the State Museum of Azerbaijan Carpet and Applied Art showing that it’s not of historical value. Some carpets are sold with the certificate already obtained.

Crimes committed against foreigners in Azerbaijan are rare however travellers should still take care with their personal possessions as pick pocketing does occur in crowded tourist areas and on public transport. Some attacks have occurred against foreign men and women walking alone at night. Women can be the victims of groping and inappropriate behaviour by local men. Always travel at night in a group. Foreign men should also be mindful of local women in bars who will ask the man to buy them a drink and talk to them before presenting them with a large bill which they will be forced to pay. The locals are very inquisitive of tourists which can be annoying to some travellers. Water should not be consumed in Azerbaijan unless it has been boiled. Bottled water is available.

The country is sensitive about tourists taking photographs of certain facilities including oil fields, buildings and public spaces. If you are stopped by the Police for taking photographs you should co-operate with them. If you require emergency assistance in Azerbaijan, the Police Office of Crimes by and against Foreigners always has an English speaking officer available. Travellers should telephone 994 12 490 95 32 during the day and 994 12 490 94 52 in the evening.

The other emergency telephone numbers in Azerbaijan are 103 for an ambulance, 101 for the fire brigade, 104 for a gas emergency and 102 for the Police. The telephone operators for these emergency numbers only speak Azer, Turkish or Russian.

Azerbaijan Expatriate Medical Insurance

If you choose to travel to Azerbaijan we recommend that you purchase a medical insurance policy that cover emergency medical evacuation. The medical facilities in Azerbaijan are limited especially in the rural areas. At Expat Medical Insurance we can assist you with selecting a medical insurance package that meets you needs and includes such benefits as outpatient care, hospitalisation, maternity care and medical evacuation. Our highly trained international medical insurance professionals offer a no obligation free service. Please contact us today for a quotation.