Kazakhstani doctors complete humanitarian mission in Afghanistan

Kazakhstan sent the humanitarian aid and medical personnel to Afghanistan after the magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the country on the night of November 3.

“The Afghan Government asked for help not only from us, but also from the entire international community. Since there were many casualties, the country faced an acute shortage of medicines and medical staff. We regularly provide support to various countries in emergency situations. This time, we decided to send both humanitarian aid and a group of medical professionals to Afghanistan, which included traumatologists, doctors of various specialties, so that they could assist directly on site,” Yerkin Tukumov, Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Afghanistan - Ambassador-at-Large of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

In line with the Kazakh President’s directive, a brigade of 15 medical professionals from three national centers - the National Scientific Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics named after Academician Batpenov, the National Neurosurgery Center and the National Coordination Center for Emergency Center - left for Afghanistan on November 13. Medicines, surgical instruments, dressing materials, tents, bedding, and other essential resources were delivered from the state reserve.

“We were deployed at three major hospitals, each corresponding to our specialties. We have provided both theoretical and practical help to our Afghan colleagues. During this period, our doctors have performed 44 surgeries, with the majority related to traumas caused by the earthquake, road accidents and gunshot wounds. Neurosurgeons have carried out more than 10 surgeries. There were many patients with multiple traumas, involving damage to several organs and systems, as well as a large number of victims with fractures,” Olzhas Bekarissov, Director of the National Scientific Center of Traumatology and Orthopedics named after Academician Batpenov, said. 

For all doctors engaged in the mission, this was their first experience of this kind. Kazakhstani professionals could not only perform surgeries but also hold dozens of consultations and examinations. They also helped local doctors distribute patients, plan the order of surgical interventions, and carry out joint case reviews.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported  that Kazakhstan dispatched a humanitarian mission to Afghanistan consisting of 13 doctors of various specialties, including surgeons, neurosurgeons, traumatologists, and others.