Zhetysu Region Health Department commented on the video address of ambulance paramedics and drivers from Taldykorgan to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova. Earlier, the medical workers reported harsh working conditions, insufficient pay, and the need for systemic changes in the 103 service.
According to the department's press service, the salary of ambulance staff is calculated in accordance with a government decree and an order from the Ministry of Health — taking into account the qualification category, length of service, and stipulated allowances.
As the department reported, last year ambulance workers received bonuses seven times, and twice this year. Additional bonuses are planned before the end of the year.
According to the department, to attract doctors it sent letters to the country's leading medical universities, but no suitable residents were found. Efforts to recruit specialists will continue in 2026, they promised.
At the same time, the department reminded that the age and procedure for retirement are regulated by the general legislation of Kazakhstan.
It was also reported that ambulance medics belong to a decreed group, so they undergo compulsory medical check-ups either at their own expense, or at the employer's expense — depending on the agreement between the parties. The department noted that the regulatory documents of the State Communal Enterprise (SCE) do not provide for full coverage of these costs by the employer.
Furthermore, the department explained that the 103 service operates a time-based payment system: earnings depend on the actual hours worked. Work on weekends, public holidays, and night shifts is paid at one and a half times the rate.
Only work initiated by the employer, pre-arranged by order and performed with the employee's consent, is recognised as overtime. This is compensated either with a cash payment or time off in lieu on a 'time for time' basis.
Working a shift on a day off according to the approved schedule, or voluntarily taking a shift instead of a colleague, is not considered overtime.
Recall that earlier, paramedics and drivers of the Taldykorgan ambulance service recorded a video address to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova. They reported harsh working conditions and the need for systemic changes in the service's operation.