Accessibility links

Breaking News

Another Top Kazakh Health Official Resigns Amid Coronavirus Pandemic


Kamalzhan Nadirov had resigned "on his own."
Kamalzhan Nadirov had resigned "on his own."

ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- Another top health official in Kazakhstan has resigned as the country continues to lead Central Asian nations with registered coronavirus cases.

Authorities in Kazakhstan's largest city, Almaty, said on October 19 that the city's health department chief, Kamalzhan Nadirov, had resigned "on his own."

Nadirov was appointed to the post in June in the wake of the pandemic. Before that, he had served as a deputy health minister.

The biggest number of coronavirus cases in Kazakhstan, almost 15,000, has been registered in Almaty.

Since measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus were introduced in Kazakhstan in mid-March, the health minister has been replaced once and the sanitary inspector-general has been replaced twice.

Many in Kazakhstan have criticized the government for frequently reshuffling health officials instead of implementing efficient measures to tackle the pandemic.

As of October 19, the number of coronavirus cases in the nation of 18 million was more than 109,500, including 1,768 deaths. More than 105,000 individuals have recovered.

  • 16x9 Image

    RFE/RL's Kazakh Service

    RFE/RL's Kazakh Service offers informed and accurate reporting in the Kazakh and Russian languages about issues that matter in Kazakhstan, while providing a dynamic platform for audience engagement and the free exchange of news and ideas.

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG