00:10Kazakstan é positioning itself
00:11as Central Asia's medical tourism hub.
00:14Foreign patients reached 80,000 last year
00:17over 10 times the 2023 level.
00:19The Kazakstan Medical Tourism Association
00:22now projects 300,000 annually
00:25supported by AI diagnostics and telemedicine.
00:30Welcome to EastWestConnect.
00:31We're highlighting business and economic opportunities in Kazakhstan
00:34and the wider Central Asian region, connecting with Europe and beyond.
00:38According to the country's healthcare ministry,
00:41the cost of diagnostics and surgeries in Kazakhstan
00:44is 5 to 10 times lower than in the United States and Europe.
00:49Patients now travel from 50 countries since 2020.
00:52Growth has been strongest from India and China,
00:55up 40-fold and 24-fold respectively,
00:58while arrivals from Turkey have tripled.
01:00We spoke to the country's healthcare minister,
01:03Akmural Alnazarova,
01:04to discuss the development of the country's medical cluster.
01:09Minister Alnazarova, thank you for receiving us.
01:12Thank you.
01:13What makes Kazakhstan competitive
01:15with established medical tourism hubs like Turkey or Germany?
01:18The quality of medical services and according to all international requirements.
01:23We have a network of clinics, which is an accreditation of GCI,
01:26which is the golden standard of accreditation,
01:29which is completely guaranteed the quality and the safety of our patients
01:34and the safety of our patients in these clinics.
01:37Of course, the international accreditation, which is a guarantee of the safety of our patients,
01:42which is the nine of our flagships,
01:45which is the Center of Neurochirurgia,
01:47which is currently doing very difficult,
01:51in terms of high-tech operations,
01:53and on the head and on the head and on the head and on the head and on the head.
01:57In the course of several years,
01:59we have a function of GAMMA-NUJ,
02:02which is, in principle,
02:04also for patients in Central Asia,
02:06which is very useful for patients in Central Asia,
02:07and in the ценовом диапазоне,
02:09and in the whole,
02:10in the quality of medical services.
02:11This is the only one of the GAMMA-NUJ
02:14in Central Asia region.
02:15The clinic of cardiophirurgia is one of the flagships of cardiophirurgia
02:23in the region of Central Asia and in the region of the Soviet Union.
02:29Today, the question of transplantation of the heart,
02:33the cardiophirurgic operations are on the level of the world of the clinic.
02:39So, there is a National Center for Health and Children of Children,
02:45which is also accredited,
02:47and there are patients from other countries,
02:50who come to children with various oncological diseases,
02:55and also receive help.
02:58How do you guarantee European level standards of care?
03:01All clinical protocols,
03:03which are today основ of the treatment of the treatment,
03:08they are harmonized with European standards,
03:13and they are carried out the assessment of the health care technology,
03:15which has already been introduced in 10 years in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
03:19The question of the quality of medical services is guaranteed.
03:24We now receive the third level of interest
03:27for the benchmarking of the Всемирной организации of health care.
03:30and we are the first in the post-Soviet space,
03:33who have actually a second level of interest,
03:36not only about the third level of interest.
03:38So, it is definitely guaranteed the quality of the medical services,
03:44and medical services that are used in the Republic of Kazakhstan.
03:48Minister, thank you for your time.
03:50Thank you so much.
03:54The country is expanding its specialized cancer treatment capacity.
03:576 radiotherapy centers and 19 endoscopy units have opened with upgrades completed at 17 oncology centers.
04:06Last year, Kazakhstan became the first in Central Asia to launch proton therapy,
04:11marking a major milestone in regional cancer care.
04:16Gulnara Shakenova, who has been diagnosed with brain cancer,
04:20has begun treatment at the National Research Oncology Center's newly opened proton therapy unit in Astana.
04:26The facility delivers highly targeted treatment designed to attack tumors with precision,
04:30while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue.
04:33At the early stage of her therapy sessions, she says she remains hopeful.
04:37Well, today, I've had the seventh session, and every day I go with hope, with positive, and with huge gratitude.
04:46You know, the procedure is absolutely unfulfilled.
04:51I came and came, and there was no unpleasant feelings, painful feelings.
04:56Kazakhstan has become the 25th country in the world to offer proton therapy to cancer patients.
05:01The facility operates the high-tech ProBin360 system, incorporating technology from the United States and Sweden.
05:08It has the capacity to treat up to 1,000 patients annually.
05:12IAEA mission was here this January, checking what we have here, what kind of infrastructure, the staff, the professionals, and
05:21so on.
05:22So, we hope that in the coming years, we will become the anchor center.
05:28It's like a regional center in Central Asia, who help IAEA to educate the countries around us.
05:38By expanding cancer care, Kazakhstan is strengthening its position as a regional medical hub.
05:44Joining us now is Adlet Tabarov, deputy chair of the Solidatka Erbekova National Scientific Center for Healthcare Development.
05:54Mr. Tabarov, welcome to the program.
05:56Thank you.
05:57Which medical technologies developed in Kazakhstan are already being used in hospitals, and do they meet European regulatory standards?
06:04There are technologies, which are currently conducted clinical trials, which are already ready for the introduction and implementation of the
06:16clinic.
06:16This is, first of all, the technologies, which are developed with artificial intelligence.
06:22This is for early diagnosis of ulcerative disorders, for the diagnosis of the brain, for the brain.
06:28Also, we have developed an app for transportation of organs, for the transplantation of organs.
06:37At the moment, it will be completed the research, and it will be introduced to the clinic.
06:42Are there any health tech startups that are attracting for investment?
07:03Can Kazakhstan become a regional hub for medical innovation, and where do you see the health tech sector in five
07:10years?
07:10After five years, we will, возможно, become a central center for innovation and innovation in the region, in the Central
07:22Asian countries.
07:47Mr. Tabarov, thanks so much for being with us.
07:50Thank you very much.
07:53That's all for now.
07:54See you in the next episode of EastWest Connect.
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