Unofficial Payments, Staff Cuts and Pressure: Healthcare Workers’ Labour Rights in Turkmenistan Require International Attention

Unofficial Payments, Staff Cuts and Pressure: Healthcare Workers’ Labour Rights in Turkmenistan Require International Attention Reports from medical institutions in Turkmenistan are once again raising concerns not only about the state of the healthcare system, but also about respect for the labour rights of its employees. Unofficial payments, reduced workloads, alleged corruption in recruitment, fear of dismissal, and compulsory participation in state-organised events create conditions in which healthcare workers have little opportunity to defend their rights. On 10 August, Radio Azatlyk reported that an inspection had been underway for nearly a month at City Health Centre No. 2 in Turkmenabat, with the associated costs allegedly being shifted onto employees. According to the report, junior and technical staff are being asked to contribute around 20 manats per week, nurses 50 manats, and doctors 100 manats. The money is reportedly collected to cover expenses related to the inspectors. Employees are said to be afraid to question these payments or refuse to contribute because they fear pressure or losing their jobs. The problem appears to extend beyond a single institution. Healthcare workers in Ashgabat have also reported reductions in working hours and positions. According to Radio Azatlyk’s sources, some employees who previously worked 1.5 full-time equivalents are being reduced to approximately 0.75, while new employees are reportedly recruited to fill the resulting vacancies. One source alleged that obtaining even a technical position at a medical institution can require a payment of up to 6,000 manats. Another reported practice involves healthcare workers being required to attend state-organised public events after their regular working hours or even following night shifts. According to one source, employees may have to pay if they refuse to participate. This Is a Human Rights Issue Such reports cannot be regarded merely as internal administrative problems within healthcare institutions. If employees are forced to surrender part of their salaries out of fear of losing their jobs, pay to obtain employment, or pay to avoid activities unrelated to their professional duties, serious questions arise regarding the right to just and favourable conditions of work and protection from coercion. These rights are recognised, among other instruments, in Article 23 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Article 7 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The situation of healthcare workers also directly affects the right to health of the wider population. Exhausted, intimidated and financially vulnerable medical personnel cannot work under the conditions necessary to provide safe and high-quality healthcare. The problem is particularly serious because, according to independent sources, employees are afraid to complain openly. Radio Azatlyk also reported that it was unable to obtain an official response from the medical institution or Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Health and Medical Industry. We Once Again Appeal to the ILO The Human Rights Platform of the Dayanç / Turkmenistan Civil Movement has previously appealed to the International Labour Organization (ILO) with a proposal to facilitate the creation of safe and confidential hotlines or other reporting channels through which people in Turkmenistan could report labour rights violations without fear of retaliation. Our appeal received no response. Meanwhile, reports of labour rights violations continue to emerge, while workers still lack a clear and safe mechanism through which they can seek protection. We therefore once again appeal to the ILO and ask: What effective instruments and international mechanisms are available for receiving and verifying information about violations of workers’ rights in Turkmenistan? How can an employee safely report unofficial payments, coercion, corruption or threats of dismissal when filing a complaint domestically may itself expose that person to retaliation? We reiterate our proposal to establish a secure and confidential mechanism for reporting labour rights violations, and we also call on the ILO to respond to our previous appeals. These concerns have been raised repeatedly, yet workers themselves have still seen no practical results. Turkmenistan needs more than inspections of medical institutions. It needs a system in which violations are investigated instead of workers being made to pay for inspections and remain silent about abuses of their own rights. Source: Radio Azatlyk, 10 August 2026 https://www.azathabar.com/a/turkmenabadyn-saglyk-oyunde-gecirilyan-barlagyn-cykdajylary-isgarlerin-ustune-yuklenyar/33825751.html