The development of Azerbaijan's healthcare system, the implementation of advanced standards, and the social welfare of medical workers have always been a priority for the country's leadership, with consistent measures taken in this direction.

According to information provided by TABIB to Operativ Media, First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva initiated the salary increase for healthcare workers employed under TABIB to improve their financial well-being, value their labor, and strengthen human capital in the healthcare system. President Ilham Aliyev welcomed the initiative and issued relevant instructions for its implementation.

In line with the wage reform, the new rules will take effect on September 1, 2026, and will cover 72,212 medical workers employed in medical institutions under TABIB. Among them, 36,041 are mid-level medical staff, 20,367 are junior medical staff, 8,675 are outpatient doctors, and 7,129 are doctors working in primary healthcare, emergency medical services, anesthesiology-intensive care, as well as narrow specialties experiencing staff shortages in the regions.

As a result of the reform, the annual wage fund for the TABIB system has increased by 189 million manats.

Salary increases will be differentiated based on position, specialty, workload, performance indicators, and regional staffing levels.

The new approach aims to better reflect a medical worker's professionalism, responsibility, and workload in their salary, while also enhancing patient satisfaction through performance and quality indicators.

As a result of the reform, the monthly salary of family doctors and community doctors providing primary healthcare services will be increased from 1,150 manats to 2,000 manats. This represents an increase of 850 manats, or 74 percent, compared to the current amount.

Significant increases are also planned for doctors working in emergency medical services. The salary of a doctor at the Republican Emergency and Urgent Medical Aid Center will rise from 1,550 manats to 2,200 manats. Additionally, the monthly salary of doctors working in the emergency departments of medical centers will increase from 1,550 manats to 2,500 manats, representing an increase of 950 manats, or 61 percent. Meanwhile, the monthly salary of doctors in the emergency departments of Category 3A and 3B medical institutions will be raised from 2,100 manats to 3,000 manats.

One of the main directions of the reform is to encourage doctors to work in the regions and to strengthen regional staffing. To this end, special incentive bonuses will be introduced for specialties experiencing the greatest staff shortages in cities and districts outside of Baku, Absheron, Sumgait, and Ganja.

Accordingly, the monthly salary of pediatric anesthesiologists-intensivists working in the regions will rise from 1,450 manats to 3,000 manats, representing a 107 percent increase. The salary of neonatologists will be raised from 1,450 manats to 2,400 manats, which is an increase of 950 manats, or 66 percent. The salary of hemodialysis doctors will increase from 1,450 manats to 2,250 manats, an increase of 800 manats, or 55 percent. In regions with doctor shortages, the monthly salary of doctors specializing in obstetrics-gynecology, neurosurgery, pediatric surgery, cardiovascular surgery, maxillofacial surgery, and traumatology will rise from 1,450 manats to 2,150 manats, representing an additional 700 manats, or a 48 percent increase.

An additional financial mechanism will also be introduced to incentivize doctors in regions facing staff shortages. Outside of Baku, Absheron, Sumgait, and Ganja, a coefficient of 1.3 will be applied to performance-based bonuses for surgical medical services, inpatient therapeutic medical services, physiotherapy and rehabilitation services, anesthesia services, and invasive radiology services in shortage areas. Thus, in addition to the fixed salary increase, doctors working in the regions will also benefit from the coefficient applied to their performance-based bonuses.

For doctors providing outpatient medical services, instead of the current small percentage payments calculated per patient, a differentiated fixed bonus based on the monthly number of examinations will be introduced.

At the same time, the wage regulations introduce a new approach that directly links doctors' incentive payments to the quality of medical services provided and patient satisfaction. The reform aims to organize medical services in a more patient-oriented manner and turn quality indicators into financial incentives. The higher the quality of service is rated, the more payment the doctor will receive.

This approach promotes high-quality and compassionate care, encouraging doctors to build better relationships with patients.

The responsibility of head and senior medical staff has also been specifically considered in the salary increase. Given the crucial role of head nurses in organizing the activities of mid-level and junior medical staff, medical documentation and record-keeping, patient safety, infection control, and quality of service, differential increases will be applied depending on the category of the medical institution. For example, the monthly salary of a head nurse working in a Category 3B medical institution will rise from 1,454 manats to 2,125 manats, representing an increase of 671 manats, or 46 percent.

Mid-level and junior medical staff are also covered by the reform. The monthly salary increase for 36,041 mid-level medical workers will be 17 percent, while the salary increase for 20,367 junior medical workers will be 18 percent.

The implementation of the reform aims to strengthen the social welfare of medical workers, increase the attractiveness of the profession, encourage doctors to move to the regions, evaluate performance more comprehensively, and increase patient satisfaction with the medical services provided.