Astana to get best oncological center in CIS

The best oncological center in CIS will be built in Astana, Tengrinews.kz reports citing chairman of the National Medical Holding Kennet Alibek. “Kazakhstan Healthcare Ministry has prepared an oncological program. It sets the goal of opening an oncological center in Nazarbayev University. This will be the best oncological center in the post-Soviet space, not by its size, but by the tasks it will perform,” Kennet Alibek said. According to him, the center will include an in-patient wing for 350 patients, a day clinic for chemical and radio therapy, radio surgery and radio therapy blocks, as well as facilities for clinical researches. Since the center will be accepting patients from all over Kazakhstan, a permission has been obtained to construct a guest house where the patients can stay. “The decision was made to follow the American model because survival rate of oncological patients in the United States is currently the highest in the world. An agreement has been signed for development of the concept, the report has been made, the location has been selected and the feasibility study is being completed. Starting from April we will be choosing the company that will construct the center. It will be built in line with the highest standards. Officially we have a task to start the construction in the beginning of 2014 but we will do our best to start it this year,” Kennet Alibek said. The National Medical Holding is planning to launch the center in 2014-2015 and start accepting the patients in 2016. “Work-wise, our plan is to have a joint management or continuous consultations with American experts. Mostly this will be the oncological center of the University of Pittsburgh. Our doctors will be working with and learning from Americans doctors. We are also dealing with the issues of training our experts. We cannot talk about the financing now, because the feasibility study is not ready yet. But I can say we will do everything to obtain the highest-quality equipment and doctors,” the chairman said. According to him, mortality from oncological diseases in Kazakhstan is currently higher than in many developed countries. That’s why the objective is to radically change the situation. “Our goal is to be guided by the example of developed countries. We should radically change the mortality rate situation and learn to deal with the widespread kinds of cancer like lung, stomach and breast cancer. The main objective of this center is to radically change the situation and increase the rate of survival of patients diagnosed with cancer. Our other objective is to develop and implement new methods of diagnostics, including early diagnostics. I think that ability to resolve and implement such tasks will allow us to dramatically change the oncological situation in Kazakhstan,” Kennet Alibek said. By Baubek Konyrov