Kyrgyzstan: authorities refuse to compensate for death of hospital worker who died of COVID-19

In May 2020, the government established compensation payments for medical workers working in the “red zone” who fell ill and died from coronavirus infection. Despite the existing legal regulation, the Ministry of Public Health refuses to pay compensation to the relatives of Mamir Moidinov.

The one-time cash allowance to the families of medical and other healthcare workers, who died as a result of coronavirus infection while performing their work, is $ 11,832 (One million KGS). The disease of viral pneumonia is equated to the consequences of COVID-19. In practice, there are difficulties in obtaining compensation. The Ministry of Public Health of the Kyrgyz Republic doesn’t want to admit that the death of the hospital worker, Mamir Moidinov, is a consequence of working in the “red zone”.

For 45 years, the man worked at the Interregional United Clinical Hospital in Osh. Since the spread of the coronavirus, he has worked daily in the “red zone”, changing oxygen cylinders for patients with viral pneumonia and COVID-19. He was in contact with the most seriously ill people, putting himself and his family at risk. He was 61 years old, but he continued to work honestly, because he understood that in such a difficult period there was no replacement for him, but he was a professional and a patriot.

“My father worked until July 22 inclusive. Then his health worsened and he was admitted to the pulmonology department for treatment in the same hospital. He was treated for coronavirus infection,” recalls his son Bakhtiyor Moidinov.

“He doesn’t deny contacts with infectious patients, possibly at work in the hospital. There were no cases of coronavirus infection among family members,” the documents say.

Mamir Moidinov was diagnosed with severe bilateral viral pneumonia with a total lung lesion volume of 68%, calcinosis of the coronary arteries and aorta. On the fifth day of treatment, July 27, 2020, the man died. “Diagnosis: COVID-19 coronavirus infection (not laboratory confirmed), extremely severe course. Death occurred as a result of multiple organ failure. PCR analysis for COVID-19 is negative,” says the postmortem epicrisis. According to Bakhtiyor, his father was buried in compliance with all burial regulations, who died from COVID-19.

For almost a year, his son Bakhtiyor Moidinov has been visiting offices, showing documents, and explaining the situation. It hurts and insults him that his father devoted less than half a century to medicine, “burned out at work,” and now he has to prove that his death was a consequence of his work duties.

The applications, sent to the Ministry of Public Health, remained unanswered. The Interregional United Clinical Hospital’s administration replied that allegedly Mamir Moidinov didn’t work in the “red zone” and therefore his family is not entitled to compensation.

The family of Moidinov received another refusal in June 2021. The response of the Ministry of Public Health, signed by Deputy Minister Zhalalidin Rakhmatullayev, says: “The expert group carried out a preliminary examination of the documents. Based on the results of the initial examination, the payment of compensation for the death of your father was denied. The reason for the refusal was that the source of the infection wasn’t identified, there are no supporting documents about being in the red zone.”