Ranokhon Burhonova is recovering from eye surgery to remove a cataract that was causing vision problems.
There are many hospitals in Burhonova's native Tajikistan offering cataract surgery, a relatively simple procedure. But the 59-year-old former nurse from the northern Sughd Province went to neighboring Uzbekistan for the operation.
"I paid about $800 for the surgery in Tashkent in late September," she said. "The prices are roughly the same in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. But for me the most important factor was the quality of care."
Burhonova says she has "lost trust" in doctors at home after many reports of incorrect diagnoses and medical malpractice.
"I'm not saying we don't have good doctors in Tajikistan, but I didn't want to take any risk, especially when my eyesight is at stake," she said.
She is planning to return to Tashkent for a follow-up appointment with her ophthalmologist six weeks after the procedure.
Uzbekistan has become a top medical-tourism destination for many middle-income Tajiks and other neighboring Central Asians pursuing better quality and affordable treatment. Some patients seek specialized medical expertise that is not available in their home country.
According to Uzbek official statistics, 57,380 Tajik citizens traveled to Uzbekistan from January to August for medical care. The figure marks a 100 percent increase from the same period last year when some 28,600 Tajiks went to Uzbekistan for health reasons.
Tajik patients began exploring private medical treatments in Uzbekistan in 2018 after Tashkent introduced three-month, visa-free travel for its Central Asian neighbors.
Uzbekistan promotes medical tourism as part of its travel industry. (file photo)
Medical tourism has flourished in recent years after the borders reopened following a suspension during the coronavirus pandemic.
Affordable accommodation and food prices, the absence of bureaucratic hurdles, and the lack of a language barrier -- Russian being spoken widely in Central Asia -- have made Uzbekistan even more attractive to foreign patients.
Most Tajiks who seek medical treatment in Uzbekistan are middle class and can afford to make several trips to the neighboring state for consultations, treatment, and follow-up appointments.
Those who are better off usually opt for hospitals and clinics in China, Iran, and Russia.
Nazokat, a 48-year-old Tajik patient who didn't want to give her last name for privacy reasons, travels to Tashkent every three months so her doctor can monitor her recovery.
SEE ALSO: Central Asian Returnees Struggle To Find Work Amid Russia's Record-High DeportationsNazokat was diagnosed with stage 4 liver fibrosis in November in Uzbekistan after a hospital in Tajikistan failed to detect the problem following a long-term hepatitis-C infection.
"In Tajikistan, I had a successful six-month treatment that killed the virus, but I continued feeling unwell. My relatives advised me to see doctors in Tashkent," she told RFE/RL.
"It saved my life. Now I know that it was almost too late for me. My condition was close to developing into cirrhosis," said Nazokat.
Dushanbe Disputes Uzbek Stats
Tajik authorities have disputed Uzbekistan's statistics on medical tourism that show a steady rise in the number of Tajiks exploring their treatment options abroad.
When Tashkent last year issued the number of Tajiks who visited Uzbekistan for health issues in 2023 -- putting it at some 43,200 people -- Dushanbe rejected it as "impossible."
"This figure does not reflect reality," Tajik Health Minister Jamoliddin Abdullozoda said at the time in reaction to the Uzbek statement.
"These numbers were taken from the records of the border-crossing points," he said.
Abdullozoda added that many people who cross the border give their reason for travel as "medical treatment" -- possibly to avoid further questions -- even if it is untrue.
Official travel websites promote Uzbek clinics, hospitals, and sanatoriums to attract foreign patients.
The Tajik health minister said his country has adequate health care, with 896,600 patients hospitalized in Tajikistan in 2023. Some 314,800 of them underwent surgeries, he said.
But many Tajiks complain about a shortage of specialists beyond the big cities, with thousands of medics moving to Russia in recent years for better wages.
Regional Hub
The Uzbek government supports medical tourism as part of the travel industry.
In 2019, the government introduced simplified medical-visa procedures for foreigners -- while official travel websites promote Uzbek hospitals and sanatoriums to attract foreign patients.
Besides Tajiks, who make up the majority of foreign patients, thousands of Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, Turkmen, and Russians have opted for medical care in Uzbekistan.
According to Uzbek state figures 8,542 Kazakh, 6,704 Kyrgyz, 1,299 Russian, and 672 Turkmen citizens traveled to Uzbekistan for health treatments from January to August.
The figures reflect an increase from the same period last year when the number of Kazakh and Russian patients was 7,200 and 800, respectively. The number of Kyrgyz and Turkmen medical tourists saw a twofold increase.