For the Love of the Homeland: Doctors Honored with State Awards

In our country, under the leadership of our esteemed President, large-scale efforts are being made to implement the State Health Program “Saglyk,” improve the population’s health, and increase life expectancy. It is worth noting the significant contribution of healthcare workers in the implementation of these efforts. Their hard work is highly valued by both the people and the state. On the eve of the 34th anniversary of our glorious Independence, several healthcare professionals have been honored with state awards. Among them is Ruslan Rahmatullaev, Deputy Head of the Regional Health Department, who was awarded the "For Love of the Homeland" Medal of Turkmenistan.

It has been nearly 30 years since he first stepped into the world of medicine. When he entered the State Medical University of Turkmenistan named after Myrat Garryyev in 1997, he had one clear goal — to follow in the footsteps of his parents and become a healthcare worker. This was a natural decision. From childhood, the conversations at home were always about protecting human health, so choosing another path hardly seemed imaginable. Therefore, Ruslan always pictured himself as a future doctor.

From the very first day of his career, he devoted himself wholeheartedly. Wherever he worked, he earned praise and gratitude. For the past eight years, he has served as the Deputy Head of the Regional Health Department, contributing to the development of the sector. When congratulated on receiving the state award, he gratefully expressed:

“I sincerely thank our Hero Arkadag and Hero Serdar Arkadagly for this high recognition of our work. For us, as healthcare professionals, the greatest reward is having modern opportunities created for protecting people’s health. That is why, as always, I express my deep gratitude to our physician Arkadag and Hero Serdar Arkadagly on this joyful occasion,” he said.

As the great poet Magtymguly Pyragy once said: “The canal flows where the water once flowed.” We mentioned at the beginning that Ruslan is continuing his parents’ profession. Indeed, his father, Yarash Rahmatullaev, dedicated his life to medicine and currently works as an on-call doctor at the Regional Emergency Medical Center. What’s even more pleasing is that some of Ruslan’s children are following in his footsteps. One of his four children, Merjen, dreams of becoming a doctor in the future.

Doctors have always been respected and honored. But being awarded a state medal brings even greater pride. On the threshold of the 34th anniversary of our sacred Independence, we congratulate all the healthcare workers who have been honored with state awards — including Ruslan Rahmatullaev — and wish them continued success in their noble mission.