Azerbaijan Sees Surge in Open Heart Surgeries Following Health Insurance Reform

Jerusalem, 1 February, 2026 (TPS-IL) -- Baku (AZERTAC) – Over 11,000 open heart surgeries have been performed in Azerbaijan in the last two years.

AZERTAC reports that this was stated by Ramil Aliyev, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Society of Cardiovascular Surgery, at a roundtable discussion on the topic “The first heart transplant in the Caucasus: a historical achievement of Azerbaijani healthcare and future prospects.”

Aliyev said that the Azerbaijan Society of Cardiovascular Surgery has made great contributions to the country’s healthcare over the past 20 years since its establishment. “The Society has worked on both certification and standardization in the healthcare system, as well as on combining knowledge and practical activities,” he said.

According to him, the introduction of compulsory health insurance in Azerbaijan has led to a significant increase in the number of open heart surgeries: “In 2005, only one open heart surgery was performed in the country. However, this number has increased significantly over the past two years with the introduction of compulsory health insurance.”