Almaty has opened its first palliative care unit for children with severe chronic and incurable diseases. The facility will help young patients manage symptoms and provide medical and psychological support to their families, according to infohub.kz.
The unit, based at one of Almaty's clinical hospitals, is designed for children up to 18 years old. The first patients are expected to arrive in the coming days.
Palliative care is a set of medical and psychological measures aimed at improving the quality of life for patients with incurable conditions. Its goal is not to cure but to alleviate pain and support the family. Importantly, palliative care does not exclude primary treatment and can be combined with it.
In the new unit, doctors will focus on relieving symptoms of the child's illness. Consultations with specialists and psychological support are planned. A multidisciplinary team, including pediatricians, intensive care specialists, oncohematologists, rehabilitation therapists, psychologists, and other experts, will work with the children.
Special attention is given to parents: conditions are designed to be as close to home as possible, allowing them to stay with their child and receive necessary support. Earlier, Kursiv Health discussed the state of palliative care in Kazakhstan with Gulnara Kunirova, President of the Kazakh Palliative Care Association, Director of the "Together Against Cancer" Foundation, and Chief External Specialist of the Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan on palliative care.