Stories of volunteers: Peruza Seitmuratova from Khojeyli district

May 12, 2022

Фото: ПРООН в Узбекистане

I decided on my future profession when I was a schoolgirl, - says Peruza Seitmuratova, a nurse at the multidisciplinary polyclinic No. 3 of the Khojeyli district. - I always admired my older sister Jupargul. Every morning she used to put on a perfectly ironed white coat and went to the clinic to see her patients.

Peruza Seitmuratova is one of the 2,080 health volunteers trained by the UNDP in partnership with the Ministry of Health of Karakalpakstan in 11 districts of the Aral Sea region. After graduating from high school in 1993, she entered the medical Institute in Nukus, and since 1996, for more than 25 years, she has been working as a nurse in the 3rd Multidisciplinary polyclinic of Khojeyli.


Recalling the years 2020-2021, Peruza notes that her family and friends panicked from the first days of the news about the COVID-19 pandemic. - "There is no way to bring someone back, says Peruza, - the virus did not spare either children or adults around the world." However, she herself, along with other volunteers, made every effort to stop the spread of the disease and protect the residents of her community "Abat" from infection.

Since February 2019, 250 volunteers of our district have been actively working to improve the medical culture of the population and strengthen the health of mother and child. We conduct educational work on the prevention of pulmonary, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal diseases. And since 2020, we are talking about how to protect ourselves and our relatives from the coronavirus,- Peruza noted.

Speaking about the work of Peruza, Kyzlargul Khudiyarova, also a Community Health volunteer, a distinguished worker of public education in Uzbekistan and Karakalpakstan, in her interview for the "Khojeyli hakıkaty" newspaper, noted that, putting their lives at risk, during quarantine, volunteers visited homes and inquired about the health of residents of their communities, gave the necessary recommendations, helped those who needed emergency support.

Colleagues and volunteers respect Peruza for her responsibility and dedication to her profession. At the same time, she and her husband, Urinbai Ziyaev, are raising two sons, students of the Faculty of History of the Nukus State Pedagogical Institute, - said Kyzylargul Khudiyarova, winner of the Shukhrat medal.

The merits of the volunteers do not remain without the attention of representatives of the government and the international community. Every year, on December 5, the International Volunteer Day is celebrated all over the world as an occasion to say thank you and celebrate the merits of those who act in health issues "Leaving no one behind".

I was very pleased to take part in the festive concert programme dedicated to the International Volunteers Day and receive valuable prizes from representatives of the Ministry of Health and diplomatic missions in Uzbekistan. Such attention motivates us to continue working, shows that we move in the right direction," Peruza said.

To date, the activities of Karakalpakstan volunteers in the field of healthcare are supported within the framework of the UNDP and UNFPA Joint Programme "Building the resilience of local communities against health, environmental and economic insecurities caused by environmental destruction in the Aral Sea region" funded by the Government of Japan.