To date, 25.5 percent of schools do not have access to clean drinking water, which is the cause of many diseases in children. The First Deputy Prime Minister of Kyrgyzstan Artem Novikov said at a video conference with participation of teachers from all regions of the country.

According to him, about 75 percent of schools do not have internal sanitary facilities (toilets), which does not meet sanitary and hygienic requirements, and 68 percent of schools are not connected to hot water supply.

«It is clear that the country has problems with financing. The budget cannot ensure solution of these issues at the current moment and in the short term. But we must at least monitor the health of children in schools,» he said, adding that this is why the government proposed to introduce School Medicine project.

He added that calculations are carried out on financing of the project. Within its framework, it is proposed to restore staffing position of nurses and first aid rooms in all schools.

«Medical support for every child should be carried out on a regular basis at school. Each student must have a medical record,» he said.

Artem Novikov noted that, possibly, there will be difficulties in equipping first aid rooms at the first stage. «But within one or two years, the issue of school medicine, I think, will be resolved. We are not inventing anything new. We are restoring the things that existed before,» he said.