OBJECTIVES:

The first confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Kazakhstan were detected in March 2020 with the following shortages in medical resources. This study is aimed to examine access to COVID and non-COVID related medical care in the country during the pandemic.

METHODS:

This research is based on a cross-sectional survey of 991 adults in Kazakhstan conducted in July 2021. Individuals aged 18 and older participated in the study to reflect the distribution of gender, age, residence type and geographical regions of Kazakhstan. Access to healthcare was assessed by asking questions on barriers to COVID-19 related medical care, changes in regular healthcare services and access to care for non-COVID-19 related conditions.

RESULTS:

Commonly reported barriers of COVID-19 care in this sample was fear of contracting COVID-19 at the health care facility (39.4%), fear of hospitalization (25.2%), limited access to online services (24.4%), overloaded hospitals (22.7%) and distrust in healthcare providers (21.7%). Fear of hospitalization was higher in urban areas (Chi2=4.41,p=0.03). Half of the respondents reported needing healthcare services for other conditions (59.7%) and 13.2% of them did not receive it. In particular, almost a third of the respondents reported failed access to healthcare products*(33.6%), emergency services (23.1%) and medical care with overnight stay (21.1%). Respondents from rural areas (Chi2=7.21,p=0.02), employed (Ch2=12.01, p=0.04) and with chronic conditions (Chi2=9.93, p=0.007) reported greater numbers of failed access. Telemedicine services were highly utilized for emergency needs (15%), yet significantly lower for other services (1-4.7%).

CONCLUSIONS:

Findings of this study suggest that every fourth respondent had intrinsic barriers to COVID related care including fears and distrust. Limited access to health products may portray the unpreparedness of pharmacy services during initial outbreaks. Specific attention should be given to equal access to healthcare in urban and rural areas. The promising impact of telemedicine needs to be studied more for various medical needs.