QURGHON TEPPA, July 26, 2011, Asia-Plus -- Medical facilities in the southern Khatlon province are experiencing an acute shortage of medical workers.

The province now has more than 1,000 doctor job vacancies,” Ms. Matlouba Shonazarova, the deputy chairperson of the Khatlon health directorate, told Asia-Plus in an interview.

According to her, more than 130 graduates from Tajik State Medical University will arrive in Khatlon this year.  “1,380 students from Khatlon are currently studying at Tajik State Medical University and we expect the problem of shortage of medical workers to be resolved within the next five years,” Shonazarova said.

Medical facilities in the province are also experiencing shortage of nurses, she added.  “To tackle this problem we have organized two-year nurse training courses,” Shonazarova said.

In the meantime, local authorities are taking measures to provide medical facilities with enough medical workers.  They encourage young specialists to work with local medical facilities through providing them with land plots for housing.  14 young doctors have reportedly received land plots this year and several others are on the waiting list.