Anti-Corruption Agency opens inquiry after medical chief appoints wife to head perinatal center

Anti-Corruption Agency launches inquiry after medical chief appoints wife to lead perinatal center

Husan Asadov, head of the Tashkent District Medical Association, appointed his wife, Gulnora Asadova, to the post of head of the Interdistrict Perinatal Center, according to an order he signed.

The document states that Asadova was employed starting Oct. 12. As the legal basis, it refers to Articles 122 and 127 of the Labor Code, as well as her employment contract.

The Anti-Corruption Agency’s press service said an official inquiry has been initiated into the appointment.

The Tashkent Province Health Department also said it has taken the matter under its control.

The relevant authorities are now examining the case. Article 121 of the Labor Code prohibits close relatives from working in direct subordination to one another or under one another’s supervision. Special attention is being given to ensuring that staffing decisions are lawful and transparent and that conflicts of interest are prevented. Once the review is finished, measures will be taken in accordance with the procedure established by law, the department said in a statement.

It is still not known why the Compliance Control Service of the Tashkent Province Health Department did not notice the appointment.

Other applicants had also applied for the position of head of the Interdistrict Perinatal Center. One of them told Daryo that three doctors who submitted applications were pressured.

“I put forward my candidacy for head of the perinatal center through the ARGOS platform. After that, I got a phone call telling me to withdraw it. I refused. Later, the platform’s requirements were changed to add a condition that applicants must have done research or hold an academic degree. As a result, our candidates were automatically knocked out of the competition,” the candidate said.