ASTANA – Kazakh Health Minister Azhar Giniyat took part in the launch of new telemedicine complexes in the North Kazakhstan Region on Jan. 29 during her working trip to the region, reported the Kazakh Health Ministry’s press service.
Photo credit: Health Ministry. Click to see the map in full size. The map is designed by The Astana Times.
French Ambassador to Kazakhstan Didier Canesse also attended the launch. The French government allocated a 650,000 euro grant (US$702,828) for a pilot telemedicine project in the North Kazakhstan Region within the Fund for Research and Assistance to the Private Sector.
This project aims to improve the region’s rural population’s access to consultations with specialized medical professionals.
Sixteen LIMSTAR teleconsultation complexes and associated diagnostic devices adapted for remote areas have been installed in medical facilities across the region.
Photo credit: Health Ministry
These complexes facilitate connections between patients in rural areas from six interdistrict hospitals, eight outpatient and two medical centers in the region and specialized doctors from two regional multidisciplinary hospitals in Petropavlovsk, offering consultations in various fields such as gynecology, obstetrics, cardiology, ENT (ear, nose, and throat), dermatology, ophthalmology and virology.
LIMSTAR enables teleconsultations between patients and doctors via video mode. The complex has various medical sensors such as electrocardiography, ultrasound scanner, dermatoscope, handheld camera, otoscope and stethoscope.
The project also includes training and support for medical and paramedic teams using the telemedicine solution and collaboration with the ministry to establish a regulatory framework for teleconsultation.
As part of the project, representatives from the ministry and the medical team underwent training in France last October to familiarize themselves with the operational procedures of the French medical teleconsultation system.
During the trip, Giniyat, Canesse, representatives from C3Medical French company, and regional authorities visited two hospitals to observe the demonstrations of the new telemedicine equipment.
Giniyat emphasized the priority of ensuring the availability of quality medical care to the rural population, which accounts for 41% or more than 7.8 million of Kazakhstan’s population.
“In 2023, 1.5 million remote medical services were provided to the population, including 4,443 services in the North Kazakhstan Region. To expand the possibilities of remote services, the implementation of the pilot project C3 Medical is relevant for greater coverage of high-quality medical services to the entire population,” Giniyat said.
