Kazakhstan's Ministry of Health has launched an unscheduled inspection of a private clinic in Almaty after reports circulated on social media that it may have been issuing fake medical documents, infohub.kz reports.
If the inspection confirms violations, the relevant measures will be taken within the powers of the authorized agencies.
"The Ministry of Health reminds that under Article 385 of the Criminal Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, forging, producing or distributing forged official documents, as well as knowingly using fraudulent documents, carries criminal liability. Medical documents must be issued solely on the basis of medical examinations and tests that have actually been carried out, in accordance with established requirements. Issuing and using such documents outside the established procedure is unacceptable. Liability may apply not only to those who unlawfully issue documents, but also to citizens who knowingly obtain or use fake certificates and sick notes," the ministry said in a statement.
The Ministry of Health also urged citizens to refuse offers to obtain a certificate or sick note without the required medical grounds, to check whether a medical organization is operating legally, and to report identified violations to the competent authorities.
The ministry also reported a re-engineering of the sick-note issuance process: a sick note is transmitted after being signed with the electronic digital signature of a medical organization employee in the medical information system, thereby confirming the document's legitimacy. Information on sick notes being opened will be passed to the employer with the citizen's consent. Data on the opening and extension of a sick note will be sent to the employer via the hr.enbek.kz portal. Employees will be able to access their sick notes through the Enbek HR mobile app.
Electronic medical documents are used for medical examinations, obtaining medical commission conclusions, registering temporary incapacity for work, disability determination procedures, obtaining sanatorium-resort treatment, processing medical documents for children, employment, and providing information to government agencies and other information systems, the ministry noted.