“Many people think that if there is a sanatorium, then some elderly woman in an old dressing gown is sure to work there. And the sanatorium itself resembles more a hospital institution. This is not so,” our interlocutor notes. Alexei Tsoi worked as Vice Minister of Health, and in February he headed the Medical Center of the Presidential Administration. A Tengrinews.kz correspondent learned from him how to improve the quality of life of Kazakhstanis and what is needed for sanatoriums in our country to work at the level of resorts in the Czech Republic or Switzerland.
TENGRINEWS: Alexey Vladimirovich, when was the last time you were on vacation and where did you go?
Alexey Tsoi: I get it very rarely. Last year I was on rehabilitation in the sanatorium "Almaty". I managed to stay there for eight days and at the same time see how this industry functions. I got a good effect. There are different types of procedures. Firstly, they teach how to lead a healthy lifestyle, how often to come for examinations to doctors. Secondly, these are physiotherapeutic procedures that allow you to quickly get into service and sometimes heal chronic diseases. Systematically, you need to go to the sanatorium. The global trend is such that not only sick people go there to improve their health. There are a lot of such programs abroad now. Cuba leads the way in improving the quality of life. Despite the fact that, in general, a person feels good there, he can improve the quality of his life in the sanitarium. Such a vacation is always recommended for families to leave and recover after working days. It is important to take care of yourself, even if you feel strong and healthy. Head of the Medical Center of the Office of the President Alexei Tsoi
TENGRINEWS: Many Kazakhstanis believe that rest and treatment in a sanatorium should be, as in Soviet times, accessible and free.
Alexey Tsoi: Our task is to make sanatoriums accessible. The more such organizations open, the better. It's a competitive environment. The price must be market. If our colleagues support us and start opening such preventive institutions, then, of course, the price will be regulated by the market. Part of it will be reimbursed through insurance payments, through trade unions, someone will be able to pay for it himself. Our goal is to make it all accessible.
TENGRINEWS: On April 18-19, the Shipazhay Forum will be held in Burabay. It is held by the Medical Center of the Office of the President, which revives rehabilitation (sanatorium treatment) in Kazakhstan. Why are you raising this issue and what tasks do you set?
Alexey Tsoi: We are now actively introducing new technologies and innovations. We have robots that help surgeons operate. Cardiac surgery is developed, transplantation of organs, joints ... We have succeeded quite well here. But all these patients, having received such complex treatment, and even just having received a very common operation, after seven days of treatment in the hospital, they are discharged home and remain under observation. Suppose a patient is at home after a cardiac surgery, he heals his wounds on his own. Abroad, from such a postoperative phase, all patients enter the rehabilitation stage. And in Soviet times, continuity was established between hospitals, hospitals and sanatorium organizations. Now in Kazakhstan this type of rehabilitation exists, but it is present in limited quantities - these are children with certain diagnoses and some patients who are subject to special rehabilitation. That is, all our citizens are not covered. Our sanatoriums have been operating in the system of the Medical Center of the Administration of the President for many years. We have two sanatoriums in Kazakhstan - "Okzhetpes" and "Almaty". And two more in Essentuki and Kyrgyzstan. Here we have preserved traditions, introduced new methods of rehabilitation. Unfortunately, this is still mostly commercial rehabilitation. Today, anyone can get there, but this is a paid service. If state quotas, then they should be indicated. We have two sanatoriums in Kazakhstan - "Okzhetpes" and "Almaty". And two more in Essentuki and Kyrgyzstan. Here we have preserved traditions, introduced new methods of rehabilitation. Unfortunately, this is still mostly commercial rehabilitation. Today, anyone can get there, but this is a paid service. If state quotas, then they should be indicated. We have two sanatoriums in Kazakhstan - "Okzhetpes" and "Almaty". And two more in Essentuki and Kyrgyzstan. Here we have preserved traditions, introduced new methods of rehabilitation. Unfortunately, this is still mostly commercial rehabilitation. Today, anyone can get there, but this is a paid service. If state quotas, then they should be indicated.
TENGRINEWS: How can the rest of those who want to get into sanatoriums?
Alexey Tsoi: Unfortunately, today rehabilitation treatment is not an obligatory part of treatment programs, although the need is very high. Every year more than 400 thousand people need rehabilitation after operations. Now the following issue is being worked out: within the framework of compulsory health insurance, to gradually increase the number of services, including for rehabilitation. It is very important that new sections of the rehabilitation of patients have appeared in the healthcare system, namely after complex operations, so that this is reimbursed through insurance services. The sanatoriums of the UDP Medical Center set the standards for providing assistance in the rehabilitation of patients: what types of manipulations are needed, what modern techniques and equipment are required. All these schemes have been worked out and tested. It's already standardized. We are preparing such protocols, which we would like to share with our colleagues at the upcoming Shipazhai forum. We invite almost all our colleagues, including foreign ones, to this platform. They will share their experience, talk about their service standards. In general, we will discuss approaches on how to properly stimulate the development of rehabilitation in Kazakhstan. How to attract tourists from neighboring regions, countries, so that they improve their health, admire the beauties of our region, get acquainted with the traditions. Such a complex task lies ahead of us. The minimum standard must be met by all sanatoriums if they carry out rehabilitation in Kazakhstan. And this is the minimum bar: what service should be, what set of equipment, what qualifications of specialists should be - all this needs to be described so that all this is standardized.
TENGRINEWS: What experience can we share with foreign colleagues?
Alexey Tsoi: The UDP Medical Center has different stages of rehabilitation. Probably, the uniqueness lies in the very approaches of rehabilitation treatment. It is a combination of different methods. We have unique devices that are present in other countries, but in a complex, so that this equipment is in one place and serves not only at the level of hospitals, but also outside - in the sanatorium zone. To get it out and put on stream. We have collected the latest recovery and rehabilitation methods from key countries. Plus, we have the possibility of treatment based on pantocrine - this is a unique Altai medicine, which was introduced in our sanatorium in Burabay. We have hardware rehabilitation, mud treatment, water, which have healing properties, this is all that is inherent in our region. Sanatoriums of the Medical Center of the Office of the President in Burabay and Almaty.
TENGRINEWS: What prevented all these years from developing and maintaining those sanatoriums that were and remain in Kazakhstan?
Alexey Tsoi: Many sanatoriums have become private property. Now sanatoriums in Saryagash, Moyildy are developing quite well - where there are natural and climatic conditions. There is now movement. Basically everything is done on a commercial basis. Rehabilitology will most likely develop in our country, taking into account the support of the social health insurance fund, state support. Then this industry will get on its feet and get its development. There is a demand. Today there are some sanatoriums that are inexpensive in terms of price, but their material and technical base leaves much to be desired. It is possible to improve, but there should be a minimum quality standard for the provision of rehabilitation assistance. We have long developed these standards at the UDP Medical Center and are now forming them in order to transfer this experience and best practices to our colleagues. We plan to send all this to the Ministry of Health so that our developments can be disseminated throughout the country and used in the regions. Previously, more attention was always paid to inpatient care, hospitals. And it is better, of course, to prevent, to see the disease in advance, to diagnose, to treat. Accordingly, there will be no complications. Rehabilitology is in demand, but, unfortunately, everything depends on funding.
TENGRINEWS: Is there a timeframe when your methods and developments will be implemented everywhere?
Alexey Tsoi: Compulsory social health insurance comes into force next year. As far as I know, additional services that citizens will have to receive also provide for rehabilitation.
TENGRINEWS: Today, Kazakhstanis themselves prefer rest and treatment in a sanatorium or a traditional trip to the sea?
Alexey Tsoi: Medical rehabilitation should be combined with general rest. Sanatoriums should be integrated. So that patients do not feel that they are in a medical facility. Most often, and here too, all the sanatoriums of the UDP Medical Center are built according to the principle: the guest block is a hotel complex where you can just relax like in a resort. And there is a healing block. So that there is no sense of a medical environment. The atmosphere should be conducive to relaxation, so that there is a pool, spa, animation. That is, in parallel with the rest, it was possible to improve health. Our concept is this. So that our citizens still stay in Kazakhstan more often, do not travel to other countries. We must create a competitive, high-quality product that will be in demand both in terms of price and quality. And most importantly - necessarily filled with service.
TENGRINEWS: As a doctor, what advice do you have for your family and friends on how best to spend your vacation?
Alexey Tsoi: Of course, I would advise you to see and choose beautiful places in Kazakhstan. Visit them with family. Get some rest and possibly improve your health. Rehabilitation treatment is not always associated with some complex debilitating procedures. It often happens that you can simply drink water from natural sources, take a walk in the fresh air, in a pine forest, for example. There is hardening, therapeutic showers, massages, gymnastics, yoga, a swimming pool - all this must be balanced. For example, if we take city dwellers - to transport them somewhere outside the city, to a resort area. If they walk the prescribed six thousand steps a day, breathe fresh air, swim in a lake or pool, drink koumiss or tea with honey - even all this will already heal him. Not to mention some hardware stuff. If you live in such a rhythm for 20 days, I think
TENGRINEWS: What about seaside holidays in Turkey?
Alexey Tsoi: The sea also has its own factors: salt water, the sun. But this is a slightly different holiday. The trend now is... even abroad, they prefer ecotourism. When you are closer to nature, not lying down, but more active, which is what we lack in everyday life. And lie down - we always have time ...
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