Cancer patient in Tashkent hospitalized after public outcry on social media

On March 6 alone, doctors arrived four times to take her, but no hospital accepted her. However, after a video surfaced on social media showing a dispute between a neighborhood officer and an emergency doctor over her situation, she was finally hospitalized on March 7 in the evening.

Why this case sparked widespread outrage?

Several Telegram channels shared a video alleging that emergency services had taken the woman to hospitals for four hours, but all refused to admit her. As a result, she was allegedly left in a building entrance “to wait for her death,” shocking local neighborhood officers.

In reality, the situation was more complex and once again highlighted systemic problems, as well as the fact that in Uzbekistan, many issues are only resolved after public outcry.

In the video, the doctor states that the emergency call was made from House 21 in the Buz-1 neighborhood, but local neighborhood officers refused to resolve the issue within their jurisdiction. The neighborhood officer in the video claims that the woman does not belong to his area (according to the doctor’s words).

According to the doctor, another emergency brigade spent four hours taking the woman to various hospitals, but none accepted her. Eventually, she was taken to the location she had requested.

“No district officer wants to deal with this issue, no matter which street this person is on... It’s not the job of emergency services to determine where she is registered or who expelled her from her home — this is a task for the law enforcement. You need to check the database, and that’s your responsibility,” the doctor tells the district officer.

District officer: “This person needs help. This is your responsibility, isn’t it?”

The doctor responds: “She has Stage 4 cancer… She has been sick for five years, and no hospital is admitting her. Is that my fault?.. Stage 4 oncology does not require hospitalization…  This is not an emergency; planned [hospital admission] is required.”

District officer insists: “But she still needs medical assistance… She already stated where she lives and her registration status… Emergency services should provide help. She is sick… I don’t know where, but she needs assistance.”

The doctor advises him to contact the Minister of Health to clarify why an oncological hospital is refusing to admit a Stage 4 cancer patient.

He also offers to accompany them to see “which hospital will accept her.” The officer, however, refuses, responding, “No… Why should I go?”

On Friday, the law enforcement officer stated that the woman’s identity was being verified and that he had no further information about her.

Emergency Medical Services Center statement

Late in the evening, Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health released a statement from the Republican Emergency Medical Services Center regarding the incident.

According to the statement, multiple emergency calls had been recorded for citizen M.B. since February 23, and each time, she had received medical assistance.

The statement also noted that the woman had been taken to the 4th and 1st City Clinical Hospitals multiple times. On March 6 alone, emergency services arrived four times to transport her.

The first call on March 6 at 10:53 AM came from a resident at Bozsuv 1/21. The emergency team arrived promptly, conducted a preliminary medical examination, and transported the patient to the 1st City Clinical Hospital. However, after the emergency department ruled out an urgent case, she was returned to the location since her place of residence was unclear, and the "102" police service was notified.

The second call, made at 1:34 PM by a law enforcement officer, also came from Bozsuv 1/21. Events unfolded similarly, except this time, the patient provided a different address — 421 Buyuk Ipak Yuli Street. After coordination between the senior doctor at the Call Center, 112, and 102 services, she was taken to the specified location.

At 7:48 PM, another emergency call was made by a resident at 421 Buyuk Ipak Yuli Street. The emergency team arrived on time, conducted a preliminary medical examination, and — since no urgent condition was identified — left the patient at the location.

The fourth call came at 8:31 PM, again from 421 Buyuk Ipak Yuli Street, this time initiated by a law enforcement officer. The emergency team quickly arrived and conducted another medical examination.

At the officer’s request, the woman was once again transported to the 1st City Clinical Hospital, where a specialist diagnosed her with a purulent ulcer of the right breast and admitted her to the hospital.

According to the statement, M.B. is currently receiving scheduled treatment at the Tashkent City Branch of the Republican Specialized Scientific and Practical Medical Center of Oncology and Radiology.