Head of State welcomes international neurosurgery specialists

Welcoming the guests, the Head of State emphasized that hosting such a prestigious forum in Kazakhstan is a testament to the country’s outstanding achievements in neurosurgery. He expressed his confidence that the Congress will significantly advance international cooperation in the field and foster the exchange of cutting-edge knowledge and technologies.

“The health of a nation is the cornerstone of sustainable progress for any country. That’s why the comprehensive development of healthcare remains a top priority in our state policy. Kazakhstan is committed to investing substantial resources in modernizing medical infrastructure, training skilled professionals, digitizing processes, and introducing innovative solutions across the sector,” the President said.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted Kazakhstan’s active advancement in high-tech medical fields, placing particular emphasis on the integration of artificial intelligence in neurosurgery. He noted that the country’s neuroscience sector is achieving remarkable progress through the implementation of digital and robotic technologies.

The President also highly praised the significant contributions of the participants to the advancement of global medicine.

"Each of you is a highly skilled specialist whose work has saved thousands of lives. You are united by a noble mission - to offer hope and healing even in the most challenging cases. Your presence here, along with hosting the neurosurgeons’ congress in Astana, once again demonstrates that medicine transcends all borders. Neurosurgery is a discipline where science and innovation are of paramount importance," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated.

The Head of State also expressed Kazakhstan’s interest in expanding international cooperation aimed at sharing expertise and transferring medical technologies.

“We see great potential in developing medical tourism, especially in high-tech fields like neurosurgery. We are ready to build sustainable cross-border partnerships to achieve progress in this area,” the President added.

In turn, the participants emphasized Kazakhstan’s great potential in developing neurosurgery and expressed their support for continued cooperation, including in specialists' training and the exchange of advanced technologies.

The Head of State instructed the Minister of Health to intensify efforts to implement advanced technologies in neurosurgery and medicine overall, as well as to review the proposals of Serik Akshulakov, Head of the National Neurosurgery Center, regarding the signing of intergovernmental agreements with neighboring countries for the treatment of foreign citizens in Kazakhstan.

The meeting also included speeches by leading figures in global neurosurgery, such as Saleem Abdulrauf, President of the Walter E. Dandy Neurosurgical Society and Professor of Neurosurgery at George Washington University (USA), Alexander Konovalov, Scientific Director and Honorary President of the N. N. Burdenko National Medical Research Center of Neurosurgery (Russia), Noor ul Owase Jeelani, Head of Pediatric Neurosurgery and Craniofacial Surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Professor of Pediatric Neurosurgery at University College London (UK), Piero Picozzi, Director of the Gamma Knife and Stereotactic Neurosurgery Department at IRCCS Humanitas Research Hospital (Italy), Akmaral Alnazarova, Minister of Health of Kazakhstan, and Serik Akshulakov, Chairman of the Board of the National Neurosurgery Center.

As reported earlier, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has congratulated media workers on their professional holiday.