Air Astana cares for a healthy heart

From 16th to 18th June 2009, Air Astana held a charity programme at the Science Center of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery, Almaty. This was inline with the inauguration ceremony of the new flight to Novosibirsk.

The cardiologists and heart surgeons were the first passengers on the Astana-Novosibirsk-Astana route, who flew to take part in this joint charity project. During these three days, doctors from Novosibirsk examined children with cardiovascular system diseases, and conducted workshops and trainings for Kazakh cardiologists.

The doctors of the highest calibre from the Meshalkin Institute took part in the event: Yuri Gorbatyh, Doctor of Medical Science, professor, cardiac surgeon, child cardiac surgery and Director of Neonatal Surgery Centre, Sergei Ivanov, Doctor of Medical Science, professor, cardiologist, Anna Lyapunova, Candidate of Medical Science, cardiologist, Marina Novikova, Candidate of Medical Science, cardiologist and Stanislav Prokhorov, Candidate of Medical Science, head of the department of anesthesiology and child critical care medicine.

Fifty children were examined by Russian doctors in the National cardiac surgery medical centre in Astana on 16th of June. Russian specialists examined 50 children and 170 children were given advice at the Scientific Centre of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery in Almaty on 17th and 18th of June. A total of 220 children aged between 2 months to 15 years were examined by the doctors.

“In Kazakhstan, there are complex problems related to cardiac surgery due to the shortage of personnel, equipment and funds in general. One of the biggest challenges is the diagnosis and surgical intervention in the case of cardiovascular diseases of newborn infants and children below 5 years of age. Overall, more than 3000 children are in need of treatment.

“The Cardiac Surgery centers exist only in Almaty, Astana and Taraz. Children with diseases of the cardiovascular system have been able to get free consultations. Kazakh and Russian doctors exchanged experiences and discussed issues related to child cardiac surgery as a result of this initiative of Air Astana. It should be noted that the domestic research centres do a huge amount of work. Our centre is about to complete the construction of a new building for the cardiac surgery unit with a capacity for 50 beds.

“Therefore, we are confident that in the future, Kazakhstan could become one of the leading centres for cardiac surgery in the Commonwealth of Independent States,” comments Ermekov Ayazbekov, director of the Scientific Center of Pediatrics and Pediatric Surgery in Almaty.

This charity event is just one of the initiatives of Air Astana, which traditionally provides aid to children from poor families and orphanages. A special place in the corporate social responsibility of Air Astana has been given for providing free tickets to seriously ill children who need urgent medical treatment abroad. Air Astana, the initiator and sponsor of the visit of Russian cardiologists, plans to invite the delegation of oncologists and ophthalmologists for medical examination of Kazakh children.