Turkmenistan Health Insurance

The central Asian country of Turkmenistan is a former Soviet republic. The region has long been a crossroads for invading armies, dating back to the Persians and later Alexander the great, to the Russians in more recent history. Turkmenistan achieved official independence on Christmas Day in 1991 in the wake of the breakup of the Soviet Union. The country is widely considered a repressive regime, ranked behind only North Korea and Burma for its lack of freedom of the press. Most of the country consists of arid desert, with historic high temperatures of more than 51 degrees centigrade. Turkmenistan’s economy is highly dependent on natural gas exports.

Despite its natural resource wealth, Turkmenistan is a very poor country with GDP per capita of USD 6,130 on a purchasing power parity basis. This figure masks great inequality as wealth is concentrated in the hands of very few. Turkmenistan spends just 2.3 percent of GDP on health care, which amounts to about USD 143 per capita annually as of 2009. Life expectancy among Turkmen is very limited at 60 years for men and 67 years for women. Turkmenistan’s health care system struggled with funding following the breakup of the Soviet Union in the early 1990s, and remains dependent on external aid. Free health care for the public had to be abolished in 2004 due to budget constraints; in spite of this, private health care and Turkmenistan health insurance remain very limited.

Turkmenistan Health Insurance & Health Care Indicators

In 2010, the WHO certified Turkmenistan as “malaria free”, which was a major public health achievement given the limited resources of the Turkmen health care system. For statistical purposes, Turkmenistan is considered part of the WHO’s European regions, and most of its health indicators are similar to those of the poorest central European nations. Despite the eradication of malaria, Turkmenistan suffers from communicable disease at a much higher rate than more developed countries. Tuberculosis infection rates are about one and half times that of Europe, although Turkmenistan has managed to avoid the ravages of the global HIV epidemic. Turkmenistan struggles to provide clean drinking water to about one third of the rural population. A bad diet and environmental pollution further contribute to the spread of communicable disease and other health problems in Turkmenistan.

Most of Turkmenistan’s meager medical facilities are concentrated in the capital city of Ashgabat, and most are understaffed by European standards. With 24.4 doctors and 45.2 nurses and midwives per 10,000 Turkmen the country may, at first blush, appear able to provide sufficient levels of medical professionals for healthcare services; however, many of these medical practitioners are very poorly trained and incapable of specialist care. Turkmenistan is able to provide skilled health care personnel to attend all births, but the quality of antenatal, infant and maternal care is very low. In spite of the state-run health care systems many shortcomings, including limited supply of pharmaceuticals and poor quality service, particularly in rural areas, private health care in the country is almost nonexistent. Turkmenistan health insurance from local providers has not yet developed.

Turkmenistan Health Insurance for Tourists and Expatriates

Turkmenistan is not a popular tourist destination, although visitors may enjoy shopping for the country’s famous rugs and carpets, or admiring the various shrines commemorating the cult of personality surrounding former “President for Life” Saparmurat Niyazov, including a 15 foot high golden likeness of himself which rotates to follow the sun. There are also a number of medieval mosques and various archaeological sites, but most foreign visitors to Turkmenistan are expatriates or business travellers involved in the extraction and export of natural gas. Hygiene and sanitation in Turkmenistan do not measure up to developed country standards, which heavily contributes to the spread of communicable disease. Visitors are advised to carry alcohol-based hand sanitizer, avoid eating raw foods or drinking water which doesn’t come from a sealed bottle. There have also been recent outbreaks of disease resistant tuberculosis, so proper precautions should be made, perhaps even wearing a surgical mask in crowded areas.

According to respected international health care charitable organization Doctors Without Borders, Turkmenistan has created a modern day Potemkin village with its health care system. Doctors without Borders insist that the country’s rates of disease are in fact much higher than reported, and its capabilities for coping with the burden of disease are actually much less than official statistics might indicate. Given the poor state of reported figures, the charity’s assertions are very troubling, and led Doctors without Borders to leave Turkmenistan in 2009. The weakened state of the Turkmen health care system and the lack of local Turkmenistan health insurance provided locally is a major cause for concern for expatriates and visitors to the country. In rural areas of Turkmenistan, even basic care is not available. For serious medical emergencies, costly medical evacuation may be required. With these unfortunate contingencies, an international health care plan is strongly recommended.

Turkmenistan Health Insurance and International Health Care Plans

Visiting a fairly remote poor country like Turkmenistan is a very difficult undertaking and the situation is complicated by the weakness of the health insurance system along with the inherent risks of travelling abroad. An international health care plan can assuage these concerns, but with so many options on the market, choosing the best plan for your unique situation can be difficult. Expat Medical Insurance has a team of experienced advisors to assist with your decision making. Our range of global health insurance plans cover individuals, families, companies and tour groups and can include medical evacuation riders. Expat Medical Insurance representatives are available 24 hours per day. Contact us today for further information.

An extensive network of healthcare facilities exists in Sri Lanka. However, the standard and quality of care available is still of a level attributed to developing nations. Evacuation to another country such as Singapore or Thailand is possible in the event of a severe illness or injury, of which comprehensive medical insurance will be necessary to cover associated costs. Cover can be arranged specifically for your travel by Expat Medical Insurance, which provides globally transferable policies for a range of medical situations, including emergency medical evacuation, doctors’ fees, specialist services and medications. To arrange a medical insurance plan which will guarantee you access to healthcare wherever you or your family travel in the world, contact an Expat Medical Insurance consultant to discuss your specific needs.