Kyrgyz oncologist trained abroad returns home, finds healthcare 'centuries behind'

Kubanychbek Kenzhekulov, a young oncologist-mammologist and uro-oncologist, trained in Russia and prepared for a career in the United States. However, the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent political events led him to return to his home country, Kyrgyzstan. He initially worked in Jalal-Abad, where he was dismayed by the primitive state of local healthcare, which he described as centuries behind even Russian standards.

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I experienced shock! It seemed that medical care in Jalal-Abad was behind not by years, but by centuries. It was very sad and scary.

Kenzhekulov found himself unable to administer advanced treatments like immunotherapy or targeted therapy due to a severe lack of resources. Patients were routinely sent to larger cities for treatment plans, and he felt his own skills were underutilized. His attempts to share knowledge and focus on prevention were hampered by the system's limitations. He recounted an instance where the chief physician was initially reluctant to hire him despite his qualifications.

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Even compared to St. Petersburg, Jalal-Abad was at a very sad level.

Feeling professionally stagnant and experiencing depression from his inability to help patients effectively, Kenzhekulov decided to leave. After marrying, he and his wife moved to Murmansk, Russia. There, he was pleasantly surprised by the quality of medical care available at the Center for Ambulatory Oncology, finding the facilities and conditions to be excellent and his work beneficial to patients.

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I felt professional stagnation, constant depression because I couldn't help patients, I wasn't using the knowledge I gained to the fullest. All this frustrated me.