▁ 1 7 , ▁ 1 9 1 8 ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁dec ree ▁of ▁Council ▁of ▁Minister s ▁of ▁A zer ba ij an ▁Democratic ▁Republic . ▁The ▁sur geon ▁Kh udad at ▁Raf ib ey li ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁minister ▁who ▁graduated ▁Medical ▁fac ulty ▁of ▁Kh ark hov ▁University . ▁The ▁government ▁developed ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁plan ▁to ▁improve ▁medical ▁service ▁to ▁provide ▁with ▁state - fund ed ▁medical ▁service ▁for ▁residents , ▁open ▁new ▁medical ▁cent ers , ▁construct ▁medical ▁w are h ouses ▁and ▁labor atory ▁buildings , ▁besides ▁necessary ▁equipment ▁was ▁acquired ▁by ▁the ▁order ▁of ▁the ▁Ministry . ▁ ▁Government ▁tried ▁to ▁improve ▁fighting ▁against ▁ep ide m ics , ▁upgrade ▁the ▁medical ▁service ▁in ▁regions ▁with ▁providing ▁medical ▁staff ▁and ▁medic ation . ▁More ▁than ▁ 3 0 ▁hosp it als ▁were ▁operating ▁in ▁regions ▁during ▁the ▁A DR . ▁Out pat ient ▁services ▁were ▁provided ▁free ▁of ▁charge ▁in ▁the ▁villages . ▁The ▁main ▁tasks ▁of ▁the ▁existing ▁rural ▁hosp it als ▁and ▁medical ▁stations ▁were ▁the ▁hospital ization ▁of ▁inf ect ious ▁patients ▁and ▁neutral ization ▁of ▁the ▁disease ▁areas . ▁T aking ▁into ▁account ▁the ▁ins u ffic iency , ▁as ▁there ▁was ▁only ▁a ▁doctor ▁for ▁ 7 5 ▁thousand ▁residents , ▁Parliament ▁decided ▁on ▁opening ▁ 3 5 ▁new ▁hosp it als ▁and ▁ 5 6 ▁medical ▁assistant ▁points ▁and ▁providing ▁ 4 3 ▁billion ▁man ats ▁for ▁that ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁expand ▁hospital ▁network ▁in ▁rural ▁areas