Kazakhstan Tightens Penalties for Violence Against Medical Workers

Amendments to Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code introducing tougher penalties for threats and violence against medical workers, including ambulance drivers, came into force on March 7, 2026, Orda.kz reports.

According to the Ministry of Health, threats against medical workers are now punishable by fines ranging from 200 to 500 monthly calculation indices, correctional labor, community service of up to 300 hours, or imprisonment for up to two years. If aggravating circumstances apply, the prison term may increase to three years.

Violence that does not endanger life is punishable by a fine of 500 to 1,000 MCI, correctional labor, community service of up to 600 hours, or imprisonment for two to three years. If the violence poses a threat to life and health, the punishment ranges from five to 10 years in prison, and under aggravating circumstances from seven to 12 years.

Additional security measures are also being introduced in medical institutions. Over the next few years, authorities plan to equip more than 2,000 paramedics with body cameras, install panic buttons in 636 emergency rooms, and set up cameras capable not only of recording incidents but also of automatically analyzing situations to speed up responses to possible threats. Round-the-clock police posts will also operate in 152 hospitals across the country.

Since 2019, more than 280 attacks on healthcare workers have been recorded in Kazakhstan. Authorities say the new measures should help improve safety in medical institutions.

Original author: Natalya Ovchinnikova

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