According to the Decree of the Azerbaijani National leader, Heydar Aliyev dated June 4, 2001, June 17 is celebrated annually in our country as a professional holiday for medical workers. In Azerbaijan, part of the Middle East, medicine has been given special attention since ancient times, and doctors were considered the most influential members of society. The physical, geographical, socio-economic, and political peculiarities of each region of Azerbaijan determined the formation of specific medical knowledge, methods, and means of treatment. The historical monument of the median state, which also covered the territory of Azerbaijan in ancient times, Avesta says that "the doctor has three weapons: the word, herbs, and a knife." The doctor treating people with the word was considered the best. Medical science in Azerbaijan experienced its heyday in the Islamic period, after the VIII century. At this time, Arabic and Persian languages, religion, mathematics, calligraphy, history, literature, medicine and alchemy were taught in madrassas. The work of the late medieval author Muhammad Bergyushadi "Tibbun Nebivi" is the first book about medicine in the Azerbaijani language. In 1712, Muhammad Yusif Shirvani wrote the book "Tibbnameh" ("Book of Medicine") in the Azerbaijani language.

In the 18th–19th centuries, the development of medicine took a completely different direction. During the years of the Russian Empire, the first modern pharmacies appeared in Northern Azerbaijan. At the same time, Hasan bey Zardabi, together with Mirza Fatali Akhundov, was engaged in research on the outbreak of malaria infection that swept the entire country. Hasan bey Zardabi is the author of such scientific research works on medicine as "Earth, Water and Air", "Hygiene", as well as a few articles published on the pages of the newspapers "Ekinci" and "Kaspi". Published in 1914, the book "Hygiene" is considered the first scientific research work in the field of hygiene.

After the formation of the independent Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in 1918, one of the first decisions of the national government was the establishment of the Ministry of Health on June 17, 1918. Khudadat bey Rafibeyli, who graduated from the medical faculty of Kharkov University in 1903 with a degree in surgery, was appointed to the post of minister. According to the instructions of the ministry, free medical services were provided to the population at the expense of the state, new hospitals and medical centers were opened, drug warehouses and laboratory buildings were built, and the necessary medical equipment was purchased. During this period, Azerbaijani students were sent to Paris, Germany, St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kyiv, and other cities to receive medical education.

After the establishment of the Soviet regime, pharmacies selling medicinal plants were completely closed, and manuscripts written in Arabic script were burned. At the beginning of the 20th century, a small part of Azerbaijani youth could receive education in Russia and other foreign countries. The development of scientific medicine and medical science in Azerbaijan was associated with the foundation of the Department of Medicine of Baku State University (earlier Azerbaijan State University) in 1919. In connection with the rapid development of medical science, research institutes arose one after another. In the early thirties, the intensive development of medical science required the creation of a specialized higher medical institute. Thus, in 1930, the Department of Medicine of Baku State University was reorganized and transferred to the Ministry of Health, in the same year, the Azerbaijan Medical Institute named after N. Narimanov was established. The famous public figure and People's Commissar of Health M. Kadirli became the first rector of the medical institute.

With the coming to power of Heydar Aliyev in the late 60s and early 70s, a new stage in the development of medicine began. Consistent and purposeful work has been done under the direct leadership, attention, and support of the national leader, and numerous reforms have been carried out in the healthcare system. His activities were primarily aimed at improving the regulatory framework for healthcare and bringing it up to the level of world standards. In December 1969, at the VII session of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan, a document called the “Health Code” was adopted on the initiative of Heydar Aliyev. By defining the directions for further development of healthcare, this Сode gave a significant impetus to its further improvement. In the 1970s and 1980s, one of the key points of the complex of measures for the development of healthcare was the improvement of existing medical institutions and the construction of new ones.

After Heydar Aliyev returned to power in 1993, a number of reforms were carried out to improve healthcare in Azerbaijan. The order of the President of Azerbaijan "On the establishment of the State Commission for Healthcare Reform" dated March 13, 1998, created conditions for conducting larger-scale and more effective reforms in all areas of healthcare. On his initiative, a number of international scientific conferences were held in our republic, which played a special role in the development of medicine in Azerbaijan.

Today, the strategy of social policy of the Great Leader is successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev in the field of healthcare. Thanks to the attention and care of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, healthcare in Azerbaijan is successfully developing. On his initiative and leadership, the most important legislative acts, state programs, laws, and decisions in this area were adopted. New reforms in the field of healthcare, improvement of the legislative framework, adoption of national action programs in socially significant areas of medicine, and strengthening the scientific and medical potential of the country are today the main directions of development of healthcare in Azerbaijan.

Providing citizens with free medicines and drugs, their treatment, construction, and commissioning of diagnostic centers in the regions, and providing children with all medical services at the highest level are the main areas of the ongoing reforms in the healthcare sector. Since 2017, our country has been implementing a pilot project of compulsory health insurance - a large-scale social project designed to establish financing of the healthcare system on a sustainable economic basis. To improve the efficiency of the emergency medical service (EMS), EMS departments have been created in central hospitals of pilot districts, and more than 750 medical institutions have been built or repaired. 
During the fight against coronavirus in our country, preventive measures were taken, and the necessary financial and technical assistance was provided to 14 countries. Within the framework of the "I State Program on the Great Return to the Liberated Territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan", large-scale projects are being implemented to create new hospitals and medical centers in the liberated territories. Eight district hospitals, eight family medicine centers, and 84 medical stations - polyclinics have been built and commissioned in these territories.

Azerbaijani healthcare has gone through a difficult path of development and because of radical changes and great efforts has reached the level of advanced countries of the world. Today, our country highly values medical workers who work diligently and tirelessly. Azerbaijani medical workers have successfully passed two tests, demonstrating a high level of training during the COVID-19 pandemic and the 44-day Patriotic War, bravely fighting for the lives of the sick and wounded. The army of medical workers of Azerbaijan, to this day and with great dedication, mobilizes its forces in the name of protecting the health of our people.

Recommended literature:

1. İbrahimli, Hikmət İsfəndiyar oğlu. İctimai sağlamlıq və səhiyyə: Monoqrafiya /[H. İ. İbrahimli] ; Azərb. Resp. Səhiyyə Nazirliyi, Ə. Əliyev ad. Azərb. Dövlət Həkimləri Təkmilləşdirmə İn-tu. - Bakı: Bəxtiyar-4, 2022. - 260 s.
2. Gəraybəyli, Gəray Çingiz oğlu. Azərbaycan Tibb Universiteti 90: [90 il: 1930-2020] /G. Gəraybəyli (baş red.) ; nəşrə məsul və tərt.: M. Allahverdiyev, N. Pənahov, G. Aslanova ; [ön söz O. Şirəliyev] ; Azərb. Resp. Səhiyyə Nazirliyi, Azərb. Tibb Un-ti. - Bakı: Təhsil, 2020. - 511 s.
3. Əlibəyli, Şahin Böyükağa oğlu. Müstəqil Azərbaycanın müasir səhiyyə sisteminin qurucusu /Ş. Əlibəyli [ön söz]. - Bakı: LH Group, 2023. - 159 s.
4. Qurbanova, Sona Allahverdi qızı. Heydər Əliyev Fondunun Azərbaycan Respublikasında səhiyyənin inkişafında rolu: (2004-2020-ci illər) /S. Qurbanova ; red. E. Ə. Məhərrəmov. - Bakı: Elm və Təhsil, 2021. - 77 s.