Monitoring conducted by the Ombudsman Institute staff in 2025 revealed serious problems related to the lack of medical equipment and medications at NCMCH.
Doctors explained that many parents experience distrust towards medical institutions, face financial difficulties, and often turn to traditional healers and folk medicine for religious reasons. One case they cited involved a child with leukemia, whose parents switched to alternative treatment after remission. A year later, the disease returned with renewed vigor, and the child passed away.
As of the end of August 2025, about 60 children were receiving treatment in the NCMCH hospitals. The number of new oncology cases among children is increasing: while approximately 70 new cases were registered annually in 2014, since 2023 this number has exceeded 200. The rise in cases is attributed both to a real increase in incidence and improvements in diagnostic methods. The most common diseases among children include acute lymphoblastic leukemia, brain tumors, neuroblastoma, and nephroblastoma.
Ombudsman Jamila Dzhamanbaeva proposed developing a new strategy for monitoring and preventing oncological diseases, as well as approving a comprehensive plan to combat these ailments for the period from 2025 to 2030. She also emphasized the importance of allocating funds in the republican budget for the maintenance of medical equipment and revising the procurement conditions for medications for oncology patients. Additionally, she highlighted the necessity of addressing issues related to treatment refusal and providing social and psychological support to families facing oncological diseases.
