The history of the department
The Department of Neonatology was opened at Astana Medical University in 2010 for the first time. The leadership of the department was entrusted to Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Tamara Kurmangalievna Chuvakova, who is also the founder of the neonatal service in the Republic of Kazakhstan. She headed the department from 2010 to 2013. After 2013, the department became a neonatology course of the Department of Pediatric Diseases.
The Department of Neonatology was re-established in 2019 due to the necessity to integrate effective perinatal technologies into healthcare practice. Karin Bekturgan Tynymbaevich has been appointed as the head of the Neonatology Department.
Karin B.T. enrolled in a doctoral program in 2021. Therefore, Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Jaxalykova Kulyash Kalikanovna, became the head of the department.
Personnel structure of the department
Despite the fact that the department has a short history, the staff of the department have extensive experience as teachers, education managers, scientists, leading clinicians, experts of WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA.The personnel potential of the department: main employees - 4 (30%), part-timers -9 (70%). Assistant Karin B.T. is the chief freelance neonatologist of Kazakhstan, a national expert of WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA. It should be noted that the assistants of the department Karin B.T. and Omargazina B.S. have completed their doctoral studies and are preparing to defend their dissertation. Also Samatova N.E. and Baymyrza A.Z. are second year doctoral students.
Purpose
to train a neonatologist of the new generation, who will be ready for continuous professional development, and who has the required amount of knowledge and practical skills that meet current standards. Additionally who will follow the principles of evidence–based medicine, and, finally, will be able to use advanced innovative technologies in neonatology.
Tasks
- training of interns, residents in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of newborns- improving the quality and effectiveness of the educational process at the department
- conducting online sessions for residents, neonatologists of the Republic of Kazakhstan in order to improve their knowledge and skills
-integration of the educational, scientific and clinical potential of neonatologists
- constant introduction of new methods of diagnosis and treatment of neonatal diseases into the practice of neonatal departments
- active participation of the academic teaching staff of the department in clinical and scientific research, in national and international projects
- constant professional development of teaching staff of the department
- training of the personnel potential of the department through residency-Master's degree
- PhD Doctoral studies
Main activity
Educational activities of the department: Interns of pediatricians in the sixth year of study, as well as first- and second-year residents in neonatology and second- year residents of pediatrics are trained at the Neonatology Department.
The clinical bases of the department are the Neonatal intensive care unit, the Unit of pathology of newborns and preterm infants nursing, the department of Mother and child in the City multidisciplinary hospital № 2 and the City multidisciplinary hospital № 3 of Astana.
Clinical activity of the department: The teaching staff of the department consult severe newborns at the Perinatal Centers of Astana and also go to the regions for consultations. The teaching staff of the department actively conduct cycles of advanced training and training seminars for neonatologists, with visits to the regions. The teachers of the department are constantly introducing new methods of diagnosis and treatment of diseases of newborns into the clinical practice of neonatal units.
Innovative and educational activities of the department: 2 online sessions for neonatologists and residents of Kazakhstan have been held weekly on the Zoom platform since 2020. The "Journal Club for Neonatologists in Kazakhstan" is held every Tuesday, where residents of all medical universities in Kazakhstan present new translated English-language articles on current issues in neonatology. The "Confidential audit of perinatal mortality in the Republic of Kazakhstan" takes place every Thursday. During the confidential audit, anonymized medical histories of deceased newborns from various regions of Kazakhstan are reviewed, and errors in patient care and reserves for improving neonatal care are identified.
Since 2022, the department has been holding weekly "Online sessions for neonatal nurses" on the Zoom platform every Wednesday, where nursing manipulations are demonstrated, standard operating procedures (SOP) are studied, and best practices are shared. These online sessions contribute to integrating of the educational, scientific and clinical potential of neonatologists and residents of Kazakhstan. The department staff, together with residents, received certificates of authorship for all 3 online sessions.
Scientific activity of the department: the main scientific directions of the department are "Diagnosis and correction of hemodynamic disorders in preterm newborns with extremely low birth weight" and "Methods of nursing preterm babies". The faculty of the department have published 15 articles, 12 abstracts, and 9 methodological recommendations over the past 3 years, as well as received 12 certificates of authorship. The teachers actively present at international and national conferences.
The Department of Neonatology actively cooperates with public organizations and charitable foundations that help newborn babies and their parents. For instance, the teaching staff of the department together with the "Bekzat" public foundation for preterm babies produced 10 videos (in Kazakh and Russian) for parents of premature babies on newborn care. These videos are currently being shown at all perinatal centers in Kazakhstan.
On the initiative of department staff, in collaboration with the “AYALA” Charitable Foundation, the International Forum of Neonatal Nurses was held in Kazakhstan for the first time on May 4-5, 2023. This event was the first step towards improving the image of neonatal nurses, as well as improving and developing the quality of care for newborn children. The Department is participating in a benchmarking project with the Neonatology Department of the Tashkent Pediatric Institute, led by N.K. Khodjamova.
Achievements
The staff of the department takes an active part in the development of Normative legal acts, clinical protocols, standards for the organization of medical care, as well as in the implementation of roadmaps and scientific research.The teaching staff of the Department, together with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan, developed for the first time the "Standards for neonatal care organization in the Republic of Kazakhstan" (2023). They also participated in the development of the "Concept for the development of maternal and child health services in the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2023-2030. Every woman and every child", and in the review and development of clinical protocols for the diagnosis and treatment of newborn diseases.
The teachers of the department also participate in the UNICEF project " Strengthening the Universal-progressive model of patronage care for pregnant women and young children, including on the control of infectious diseases and the rational use of medications, and environmental impact on children's health", and in the university's scientific project "Identification and assessment of the causes of perinatal losses in Kazakhstan using confidential audit tools".
All employees of the department are members of the “Congress of Obstetricians, Gynecologists and Neonatologists of Kazakhstan” public foundation and the “Union of European Neonatal and Perinatal Societies”.
Contacts
City Multidisciplinary Hospital № 2, Obstetric unit
Address: Ryskulova street 8
Email: jaxalykova.k@ amu.kz
