Photo documentation feature is now operational in clinics across Kazakhstan.

The innovation was introduced to reduce falsified entries, but not all patients agree to photo documentation.

“In just a few seconds, the camera captures the patient's presence. The image is immediately sent to the digital medical database. Medical staff are already viewing this innovation as part of their daily routine. Patients, however, will need time to adapt to the fact that photo documentation is becoming the norm in the healthcare system,” the statement reads.

It has been reported that during the pilot launch of the system in Astana, 36,000 patients opted out of identification.

“Some patients ask why photo documentation is necessary; we explain to them that it is a new rule. If a person does not wish to undergo photo documentation, they can provide a special code, which can be found on the portal egov.kz,” explained Zhanaiym Muratbekkyzy, an infectious disease doctor at Polyclinic No. 1 in Shymkent.

The system was implemented to enhance control over the provision of medical services. It is noted that last year, over 23,000 fraudulent appointments to doctors were detected in medical organizations, amounting to 208 million tenge.

The Ministry of Health assured that after identification, the patient's photo is automatically deleted, eliminating the possibility of data leakage.