Temirtau Paramedics Protest Working Conditions

Ambulance workers in Temirtau have issued a public appeal to the Ministry of Health and to society, saying they are exhausted from working in high-risk and dangerous conditions for extremely low pay, Orda.kz reports.

Paramedics, drivers, and other staff released a statement demanding respect for their work, adequate working conditions, and fair wages. Many of them currently earn around 200,000 tenge a month.

One of the paramedics said:

The fish rots from the head. If management does not provide us with normal working conditions — properly equipped vehicles, full crews going out on calls — then we simply cannot provide quality care. Any of our own relatives could end up in the patient’s place. And we demand action from you so that these promises don’t remain just words.

The workers are calling on management to:

• Ensure safe, well-equipped, and adequate working conditions
• Introduce fair and decent pay that reflects their workload and risk
• Treat employees with the respect their profession deserves

Their statement continues:

We are emergency medical workers — and we can’t stay silent anymore. Every workday brings calls, risks, lack of sleep, high stress, and enormous responsibility for human lives. We do our jobs with dignity, honesty, and professionalism. In return, we want something basic — normal working conditions and fair pay.

In response, Dana Baikenova, head of outpatient and primary care coordination at the Qaraganda Regional Health Department, said that raising salaries does not fall within the regional health authority’s powers.

She explained:

All organizational issues were resolved today. As for salaries, they are calculated under Resolution 1193 for state institutions. The pay scale is the same across the country. Our union is initiating a proposal to raise the salaries of ambulance workers — doctors and paramedics.

The issue of medical workers’ salaries is under government control. Since 2020, pay has been gradually raised — it has effectively increased two and a half times compared to 2020. But, of course, I believe doctors’ work should always be well compensated. Since January 1, 2025, we have implemented a new system that incentivizes doctors and all primary care workers. It provides differentiated pay within their assigned area. Doctors and their teams can now receive bonuses. We allocated about 25 billion tenge for these bonuses, and this money will reach every worker. We are already seeing the situation improve, the minister said.

A similar situation recently unfolded in Qostanay, where ambulance staff complained not only about low wages but also about a lack of proper heating at their station and an aging vehicle fleet.

Original Author: Ilya Astakhov