Kazakhstanis will be able to see where the ambulance is going - what else is changing in the rules

Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan has updated its rules for emergency medical services. Patients will now be able to track the location of an ambulance crew in real time. The changes also affect urgent calls and the operation of outpatient mobile units.
The corresponding order was signed by Minister of Healthcare Akmaral Alnazarova. The new regulations will take effect on October 13.
Kazakhstanis will be able to track ambulance locations
One of the primary innovations introduced by the document concerns ambulance tracking.
Once a dispatcher assigns a crew to a call, the patient will receive an automated notification. They must also be provided with the ability to track the location in real time and monitor the crew’s movement via geodata services.
To facilitate this, the automated emergency response system will transmit the necessary data to the relevant service after the crew is dispatched.
The rules previously allowed for calling an ambulance not only via the 103 hotline but also through mobile apps, messaging services, and chatbots, including the transmission of geolocation data.
Fourth category reclassified as "Urgent Condition"
The concept of a "fourth-category urgency call" is being removed from the emergency services regulations. Instead, the term "urgent condition" is being introduced.
This refers to conditions caused by acute illness or the exacerbation of a chronic disease that do not involve sudden or severe dysfunction of organs and systems, nor pose an immediate or potential threat to the patient's life or health.
Response times for crews remain unchanged:

First category of urgency — up to 10 minutes;
Second category — up to 15 minutes;
Third category — up to 30 minutes;
Urgent conditions (formerly the fourth category — Editor's note) — up to 60 minutes.

During the operating hours of mobile units, urgent calls will be transferred to primary healthcare organizations (clinics).
On weekdays, these units will operate from 08:00 to 20:00,. Calls will be registered for transfer to clinics from 08:00 to 19:00 on weekdays and from 08:00 to 12:00 on Saturdays.
If an urgent call is received outside of clinic operating hours, it will be handled by an ambulance station crew.
Furthermore, the patient does not need to be at their registered address; the mobile unit must attend the call at the patient's actual location within its service area.
Medical staff to be issued body cameras
The changes also address the safety of healthcare professionals.
Ambulance crews and clinic mobile units must be equipped with radios, wearable video badges, and mobile cameras. These will be used to record audio and video during patient care and transportation to the hospital.
Vehicles used by clinic mobile units will also be equipped with GPS tracking and video surveillance systems.
If a call poses a threat to the life or health of medical staff, the call must be attended in the presence of police officers.
Procedures for children when a parent is hospitalized
The rules now specifically outline procedures for situations where an ambulance hospitalizes the sole parent or legal guardian of a minor.
If a child is left unattended as a result, they must be handed over to police officers, who will then arrange for their temporary placement in a facility for children left without parental care.
Hospital destination
If a patient's life is in danger—for example, due to acute cardiovascular or respiratory failure—they must be taken to the emergency department of the nearest hospital providing emergency care.
In such cases, the patient's registered healthcare facility is irrelevant.
The changes were introduced by Order No. 125 of the Minister of Healthcare, dated September 29, 2024.
The document comes into force on October 13.
Previously, the Ministry of Healthcare proposed life and health insurance for medical workers who are attacked by patients or their relatives in the workplace.