15.05.2025

When a mother catches her baby’s gaze for the first time, it feels like a miracle. Especially when doctors weren’t sure if the child сould ever see at all. In Almaty, this miracle has become reality: unique surgeries have been performed here that give a chance for vision to the most vulnerable — premature infants.

A Disease Where Every Hour Counts

From March 31 to April 3, the Center for Pediatric Emergency Care in Almaty hosted an international masterclass on early vitrectomy – one of the most complex retinal surgeries for infants and children. For the first time in Almaty, these delicate interventions were performed by local ophthalmologists under the guidance of world-renowned ophthalmic surgeon Professor Nihil Pal from India. His visit was organized by Miloserdie (Mercy) Voluntary Society Charitable Foundation.

Over four days, five pediatric ophthalmologists from Astana, Almaty, and Shymkent examined 75 children and performed 20 surgeries on 14 infants from 12 regions of the country. The youngest patient was just 3 months old. All of them had diagnoses that would break any parent’s heart: retinopathy of prematurity, Coats’ disease, and other complex retinal pathologies. These severe retinal conditions can lead to complete and irreversible blindness without urgent medical intervention.

«Retinopathy of prematurity is a disease where every hour counts — not just days. Any delay can lead to complete blindness. That’s why Professor Nihil Pal’s masterclass wasn’t just about learning new techniques. These days, our ophthalmologists have been absorbing his best practices so that these children could see their mothers’ faces – so that their childhoods could be filled with color, movement, books, dreams, and victories,» Assel Sharipova, MD, neonatal ophthalmic surgeon and founder of I Can See the World project, explains.

Advanced ophthalmic technologies in Almaty

Over the past decade, Kazakhstan has made a significant progress in neonatal ophthalmology: implementing early screening protocols, training more than 40 specialists, and establishing interregional teams. However, until recently, hundreds of Kazakhstani families had to seek critical surgeries abroad — in Turkey, India, and Russia. Just in the last two years, over 160 children underwent operations overseas, as complex procedures like early vitrectomy weren’t available in Almaty. Today, all necessary resources for these surgeries are available here.

After intensive training on the Professor Pal’s masterclass, Kazakhstani ophthalmologists have now mastered all required knowledge and techniques. And the most important thing is that the Center for Pediatric Emergency Care has been equipped with specialized microsurgical equipment that allows performing these complex procedures on even the youngest patients.

The Constellation Vision System installed at the Center is a cutting-edge ophthalmic surgical platform that, in skilled hands, can restore vision even in the smallest patients. This equipment was donated to the eye microsurgery department thank to the partnership between AYALA Foundation and Chevron as part of I Can See the World project.

«The most important thing in these master classes is that now parents do not need to urgently look for money for the treatment of their children abroad. High-tech surgical care has become available in Kazakhstan. We thank all partners, especially Chevron, for their contribution to the development of pediatric ophthalmology. This is a step towards a system where every child has a chance for a happy childhood with the precious gift of sight,» Aidan Suleimenova, Founder and President of AYALA Foundation emphasizes.

«Now we can save children’s eyesight without sending them abroad»

Arai is a mother of two children diagnosed with retinopathy of prematurity. Her son Nurislam is 2 years and 6 months old, he has already undergone six surgeries, three of them in Yekaterinburg.

«The right eye can’t see at all, and the left has only partial vision left. When they learned that such operations are carried out in Almaty, they agreed immediately. This time they operated the seeing eye, it was important to preserve what remained. Now we are at home, using eye drops and recovering,» Arai says.

She is also grateful for the help in the treatment of her eldest daughter Nurai, who is 7 years old:

«Previously, we had to pay for surgery at a private clinic in Turkey. It was an enormous burden for our family. Now, we received free treatment here in Almaty using state-of-the-art equipment, performed by a world-class specialist. This is priceless.».

«Just a few years ago, we could only dream of this level of medical care in Kazakhstan. Today, we’re performing these complex surgeries ourselves. We now have the knowledge, tools, and confidence to fight for children’s vision at the highest level right here at home in Kazakhstan. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank our partners and colleagues for this step forward. Together, we’re transforming the future of pediatric medicine,» Dr. Mukasan Berdikhan, Ophthalmologist at the Center for Pediatric Emergency Medical Care, says.

He is supported by his colleague Gulzat Abdraimova:

«Vision disorders in newborns — especially in premature infants — always present a major challenge. Retinopathy of prematurity demands not only immediate intervention but also the highest level of specialist expertise and state-of-the-art equipment.

Special thanks to Chevron for the Constellation Vision System. It enables us to perform advanced, minimally invasive, and highly effective surgeries — even on the smallest patients — what was previously only possible abroad. Last year’s intensive training in India under Professor Pal and his extraordinary masterclass this year in Almaty provided us with invaluable knowledge and practical skills that we’re now using here at home. This is a real breakthrough.»

During four days in Almaty, these doctors did more than dozens of surgeries — they gave hope to families across Kazakhstan. They helped the children who may be for the first time will be able to see their mother’s eyes.

And this is just the beginning. More than 20,000 premature newborns are born in Kazakhstan every year, with approximately 4,000 infants at high risk for retinopathy of prematurity. Now, thanks to advanced technology and trained specialists, these babies have a real chance to preserve their vision and see the world in bright colors.

This isn’t merely a step forward in pediatric ophthalmology — it’s a leap toward ensuring that every child in Kazakhstan can see, live fully and make dreams come true.