No one will be deprived of right to healthcare or education — Deputy PM
Kazakhstan will fully maintain its state social obligations in the fields of education and healthcare, Qazinform News Agency quotes Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aida Balayeva, as saying at the 9th session of the Constitutional Commission.
“An erroneous view is circulating on social media that the state’s social obligations in the fields of education and healthcare will be reduced. However, the preamble and the first article of the draft new Constitution clearly state that Kazakhstan is a social state. No one will be deprived of the right to medical care or education,” Balayeva said.
She explained that the term “free of charge” is legally defined as the right of citizens to receive medical care without payment, in accordance with the law, noting that such services have always been funded from the state budget. She added that around 40% of Kazakhstan’s state budget is allocated to the social sector.
Balayeva emphasized that enshrining citizens’ rights to free medical care and to primary and secondary education in the Constitution provides a solid foundation for human capital development. At the same time, she noted that provisions allowing paid services also expand citizens’ opportunities in healthcare.
The Deputy Prime Minister also proposed clarifying several constitutional provisions, including replacing the wording “primary and secondary education” with “general education” and removing the word “state” from the clause on access to higher education, saying these changes would better reflect current legal and educational realities.
As Qazinform News Agency reported earlier, Kazakh citizens are proactively engaged in shaping the new Constitution.
