Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov familiarized himself with the activities of the National Scientific Oncology Center (NSOC) and the Biomedical Research Center of Nazarbayev University. Attention was given to the implementation of the President’s instructions on the application of advanced technologies in medicine and the development of the healthcare system, DKNews.kz reports.
Olzhas Bektenov inspected the facilities of the new building of the National Scientific Oncology Center, constructed on the instructions of the President, where patients are provided with high-tech types of treatment. The NSOC is the flagship of radiation oncology in Kazakhstan. Its annual capacity includes around 12,000 diagnostic studies and surgical interventions, 4,000 courses of radiation and proton therapy, as well as up to 330 organ and bone marrow transplantations.
All oncology care for patients in Kazakhstan is provided free of charge under the Guaranteed Volume of Free Medical Care and the Mandatory Social Health Insurance system. More than 170 billion tenge is allocated annually from the state budget for these purposes. Taking into account infrastructure projects and the acquisition of modern equipment, the budget for oncology care has increased sixfold over the past three years.
The Prime Minister was informed about the ongoing work to assign the status of “IAEA Anchor Center” to the National Scientific Oncology Center, which will serve as a key platform for the development and dissemination of best practices in radiation oncology and nuclear medicine throughout Central Asia.
At the Center for Radiation Technologies, active work is underway to establish the full production cycle of radiopharmaceuticals for the diagnosis (including early-stage detection) and treatment of cancer. Currently, the radiopharmaceutical “18-fluorodeoxyglucose (18F-FDG)” is produced for PET/CT and the country’s first PET/MRI diagnostics. In the near future, the production of 13 additional radiopharmaceuticals is planned, some of which will be synthesized for the first time. The availability of in-house production will allow for up to 12,000 studies per year.
In the radionuclide therapy department, iodine-131–based medication is used for the treatment of thyroid cancer. After receiving this radiopharmaceutical, patients remain in isolation for 5–7 days. The facilities are equipped in accordance with IAEA requirements and standards. Over the past five months, 80 people have undergone treatment here, and the department’s annual capacity exceeds 300 patients.
The Ministry of Healthcare is working on the creation of a network of six regional centers to meet public needs for treatment using radiopharmaceuticals. Additional “active” wards will be opened in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Semey, Karaganda, and Aktobe.
During the inspection of medical infrastructure, attention was given to the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies. In radiation and proton therapy, the use of artificial intelligence ensures targeted treatment with minimal impact on healthy tissues. The NSOC operates seven radiation oncology bunkers equipped with Varian linear accelerators, including EDGE and ETHOS systems with artificial intelligence technologies.
The Proton Therapy Center is the only one in Central Asia equipped with the ProBeam 360 system manufactured by Varian. Similar installations operate in just 24 countries worldwide. This type of therapy is most optimal for the treatment of children, as well as tumors of the brain, spinal cord, visual structures, and others. Maximum treatment precision is further supported by the use of two CT simulators. In addition, the country’s first MRI simulator has been launched. The center is designed to treat up to 1,000 patients per year, including foreign patients, strengthening Kazakhstan’s potential in medical tourism.
In hybrid operating rooms, doctors perform more than 350 high-tech surgeries, including operations on the brain, heart, and other organs. Another important area of work is continuous staff training. More than 250 NSOC specialists have been trained to work with modern equipment in leading oncology centers of the world.
Olzhas Bektenov instructed the Ministry of Healthcare to ensure maximum accessibility of advanced treatment methods for oncology patients from all regions of the country, as well as to create the necessary conditions for the further development of nuclear medicine in Kazakhstan.
The Prime Minister familiarized himself with the equipment of the new NU Biomedical Research Center, which has become a resource and training platform for Kazakhstani scientists, faculty, and students. Covering an area of more than 5,600 square meters, the center provides all the conditions for conducting biomedical and preclinical research. In particular, it includes a platform for studies in genomics, molecular biology, tissue engineering, regenerative and translational medicine.
The main feature is the vivarium, where scientific research in biology and pharmacology is conducted. In terms of technological equipment and adherence to international biosafety standards, the facility has no analogues in the region.
President of NU, Professor Vakar Ahmad, reported that work is currently underway to obtain accreditation from AAALAC International — one of the globally recognized systems for assessing the quality of work with laboratory animals. The opening of the vivarium creates opportunities for Kazakhstani scientists to transition to a qualitatively new level of research, enabling expansion of domestic pharmaceutical production.
The Prime Minister was also presented with a number of scientific and technological projects developed within the NU ecosystem. The Chairman of the Board of the University Medical Center corporate foundation, Dr. Yuri Pya, demonstrated an innovative development — the ALEM device for preserving and long-term transporting donor organs in conditions closely approximating physiological ones. The introduction of this technology may significantly improve the effectiveness of transplantology in the country.
The Director General of National Laboratory Astana, Professor Dos Sarbassov, spoke about plans to establish a Regional Pharmaceutical Center specializing in preclinical trials and the development of new pharmaceutical products. The project includes the creation of R&D infrastructure for the development of pharmaceutical production with a high level of localization in Kazakhstan.
The Prime Minister also reviewed the activities of the NU School of Medicine and research conducted by scientists in oncology, cartilage tissue regeneration, robotic fracture treatment, bioprocessing of waste for pharmaceutical components, and other areas. In addition, projects by NU technopark residents aimed at developing medical technologies to improve the accessibility and quality of healthcare were presented.
Olzhas Bektenov emphasized the importance of scientific research for the development of Kazakhstani medicine and pharmaceuticals and instructed the relevant ministries to create all necessary conditions for the practical implementation of leading domestic innovations.
