Deployment of telemedicine in the North Kazakhstan region

The health authorities in Kazakhstan aim to improve access to care in remote and under-equipped rural areas. North Kazakhstan is a region where access to general practitioners and specialists is particularly difficult due to the region’s rural area, the overall lack of doctors and extreme weather conditions.

With the support of the French Treasury, we have deployed a network of telemedicine solutions. Thanks to the deployment of this solution, access to care has been improved for the entire population.

Beneficiaries

Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan

North Kazakhstan Region

Location
Central Asia
Duration
1 year
SectorPrimary Care
ServiceDigital transformation and e-health

Mission details

Context & challenges

The telemedicine project aims to improve access to healthcare in North Kazakhstan by digitalising health services. This initiative responds to important challenges. The death rate increased by 34% from 2018 to 2023, reaching 15.97 per 1,000 inhabitants, which is 1.6 times the national average. At the same time, the birth rate is declining, and the medical infrastructure is dilapidated.

The majority of the population lives in rural areas, often located 250 or even 500 km from the only two specialized hospitals. The harsh weather conditions, with several months of snow and roads closed in winter, further complicate access to care. This delays diagnoses and limits follow-ups, especially for pregnancies and cardiovascular diseases.

Route enneigée au Kazakhstan du nord :

These factors increase rural residents’ dissatisfaction with the health system and highlight the need for an innovative solution such as telemedicine.

Project description

The project consisted of installing 16 teleconsultation trolleys, adapted to extreme weather conditions. These innovative and secure trolleys offer a quality of care equivalent to that of face-to-face consultations. Easy to use, they perfectly meet the needs of local medical teams. Supervised by C3Medical Consulting, it was carried out in partnership with the Ministry of Health, the North Kazakhstan region and local health centres. The main stages of the project include:

Support and training: a program has been set up to train practitioners, nurses and doctors. The objective was to ensure optimal use of teleconsultation tools.
An upgrade of the infrastructure: the equipment has been installed and the health sites concerned modernized.
Regulatory and technical management: the legal framework for teleconsultation has been adapted. The protocols for the management of health data have also been brought into compliance.

Results

Since January 2024, the project has resulted in expanded coverage of healthcare for isolated populations, a significant decrease in the time it takes to diagnose and respond to medical interventions in critical contexts, and also a decrease in unnecessary travel for patients, saving time and resources.

The initiative has transformed medical practices in the region. It has reduced consultation times and improved the quality of healthcare. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of telemedicine in remote areas, while also being an inspiring model for other regions.