22.05.2024

A new retinal camera is successfully used at the Aktobe Regional Perinatal Center. This modern diagnostic equipment helps to identify serious vision pathologies in newborns, including retinopathy of prematurity, at the earliest stages. The retinal camera was donated to the ophthalmologist’s room by AYALA Charity Foundation with the support of Halyk Bank as part of “I Can See the World” project.

In 2021 and 2022, AYALA Foundation already donated an ophthalmic laser and an indirect ophthalmoscope to the Regional Perinatal Center. More than 1,070 children have already been diagnosed using this equipment. Now, along with the retinal camera, the ophthalmologist has a complete set of medical equipment to save newborn children from blindness. Previously, when retinopathy was detected, premature babies from Aktobe and the region had to be sent to the capital city for surgical treatment. Thanks to the help of AYALA Foundation, the Regional Perinatal Center has advanced in early diagnostics and treatment of retinopathy.

“Every year about 20 thousand children are born in the region, and over 450 babies born prematurely are at risk. Our center needed a retinal camera for early screening of retinopathy and other eye pathologies in newborns, and especially during laser surgery. Previously, we carried out examinations with the use of a forehead ophthalmoscope. With new equipment, we can demonstrate retina to the children’s parents, the images are displayed on the monitor screen, they are colored, clear, and any changes in the retina are clearly visible,” Gulshat Temirbaeva, Director of the Regional Perinatal Center, emphasized.

FORUS NEO retinal camera (India) allows you to diagnose a child even in intensive care conditions and when the newborn is connected to a ventilator – which is not possible with other devices. The camera is easy to use and compatible with the laptop where all information about our small patients, as well as photo- and video records related to retinopathy diagnostics is kept.

From the first days after installation, this retinal camera is used to diagnose various vision pathologies in newborns. In Aktobe, 110 children have already been examined using this camera, retinopathy was detected in 15 premature newborns.

“This is a very important charity project, since we are talking about the health of babies, newborns of Kazakhstan — the future generation of our country. We are very pleased and proud that the Bank supported the initiative of AYALA Foundation and chose our city and our Perinatal Center to purchase such vital equipment. I believe that thanks to this equipment and comprehensive support, the Center specialists will provide well-timed and qualified assistance to children and provide a start in life for newborn babies,” Torgyn Kaziyevna Beisova, acting ​Director of the Aktobe Regional Branch, noted.

This is the eighth retinal camera donated by AYALA Charity Foundation to medical centers in Kazakhstan since 2021. Earlier this year, the same cameras appeared in the Center for Perinatology and Pediatric Cardiac Surgery in Almaty and in the Retinopathy Center at the Regional Perinatal Center of Atyrau.

AYALA Charity Foundation has been implementing “I Can See the World” project for the third year in accordance with the Memorandum signed with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Over this period, the Foundation helped Kazakh ophthalmologists to examine more than 4.5 thousand premature newborns at 17 perinatal and research centers of Kazakhstan by providing them with 28 units of diagnostic and laser surgical equipment. This equipment donated by AYALA Foundation allows to cover 100% of premature babies at risk for retinopathy with screening.

“The goal of our Foundation is to help the state in reducing infant disability and mortality. All our medical projects including “I Can See the World” project work towards this goal. Since 2021, our equipment has helped reduce visual disability in premature newborns in Kazakhstan to almost zero level. The number of neonatal ophthalmologists has increased 10 times — from 4 to 45 highly qualified specialists, including Kamshat Bolatovna Meshitbaeva, an ophthalmologist of the Regional Center of Aktobe. I am sure that thanks to her knowledge and accumulated experience, there will be no children blind due to retinopathy in Aktobe region very soon,” Aidan Suleimenova, Founder and President of AYALA Charity Foundation noted.