Project “Balakay”

"Balakai" is a project providing assistance to medical institutions of Almaty. 

The main aims of the project are to improve local medical facilities and increase the professional level of the local healthcare workers. 

Within the framework of the project doctors in Kazakhstan participate in a variety of training courses and professional development conferences, and medical equipment is procured for local clinics. 

As such, doctors from the "Balbulak" National Rehabilitation Centre have visited conferences in Kaluga and Kiev, where they learned about new methods in the treatment of Infantile Cerebral Palsy (ICP). In addition, Head-doctors of the Research Institute of Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery visited a St.-Petersburg conference on the treatment of burn conditions among children. 

Through this project, two emergency physicians from the Research Institute of Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery underwent training at the Children's National Medical Center (CNMC, Washington, DC) (according to US News and World Report, CNMC is annually acclaimed among the best paediatric clinics of the USA).

The fund also assists doctors from the "Balbulak" Rehabilitation Centre and the Institute of Paediatrics to take part in various training seminars.

In the scope of this project the Fund has assisted with provision of intensive care facilities at the Research Institute of Paediatrics and Paediatric Surgery. Assistance was aimed at equipping an intensive care unit for infants with PICCs - peripherally inserted central catheters. The project aims to reduce mortality among children and infants at risk.

At present, subclavian catheters are used to sustain the lives of prematurely born babies - the insertion of which may not only lead to serious consequences (even damage of the lung and heart), but is also very invasive, especially considering the weight and critical condition of preterm infants.

Dara Foundation sought advice from the heads of intensive neonatal resuscitation at leading U.S. hospitals: Children's National Medical Center (CNMC, Washington, DC) and the Children's Hospital at Yale-New Haven (Yale University).

They recommended the use of PICCs (peripherally inserted central catheters), which:

·         permit long venous access, helping to avoid repeated puncture of veins;

·         are well-tolerated, even among premature babies with low birth weight, due to the catheters' flexibility (catheters are made of high-thermo-sensitive polyurethane, which is easily inserted but rapidly becomes soft after insertion);

·         reduce the risk of damaging the vascular wall, due to convenient fixed wings and a built-in extension;

 

·         are radio-opaque (visible under X-ray)

    Whilst attempting to purchase the catheters in Kazakhstan, we encountered a shortage of high quality medicines and medical supplies on the pharmaceutical market: only pharmaceutical distribution companies possess the right to import medical products, and it seems they are not interested in supplying these catheters. This problem is widespread: to treat the population, local doctors require a great number of medications that are not registered in the territory of Kazakhstan. Unfortunately, equivalents that have undergone state registration and which could replace them are unavailable.

The problem is that some medicines are required in very small quantities. The cost of registration and the time spent on registering imported drugs or consumables are great for any distribution company - therefore, they import only what they can in the shortest time to recoup the investment of time and money. As a result, since nobody is interested in their import and distribution, our doctors do not have access to the small amounts of medicine required to treat complex and rare diseases or to carry out uncommon surgical operations.

    Unfortunately, solving the issues of the pharmaceutical market requires systemic changes in the procedures and work of the health authorities. Dara Foundation was eventually able to obtain all the necessary licences to import a large batch of these catheters and fulfil the Institute of Paediatric Surgery's annual requirements; this donation was made in the hope that the benefits of using PICCs will lead to further demand and their ultimate registration. The Fund also continues to campaign the registration of medical supplies among pharmaceutical distribution companies, to help save the lives of young patients.

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