Visit of psychiatrists from Kazakhstan to LSMU

On November 24-26, the delegation of psychiatrists from Kazakhstan visited the Lithuanian University of Health Sciences. The delegation consisted of chief Kazakhstan psychiatrist Prof. Sagat Altynbekov, Director of Republican Scientific Practical Center of Psychiatrics, Psychotherapy and Narcology of Kazakhstan; Mr. Aidyn Nurdybaev, Director of Mental Health Centre of Semei City; Mr. Kachan Imanbekov, chief doctor of Psychoneurologic Follow-Up Care Centre in Pavlodar district; and Ms. Altynai Babykpaeva, deputy chief doctor of Mental Health Center in Almaty city. The purpose of the visit was to get familiar with the services of mental health, applied novelties, and possibilities to introduce our model of organization of mental health in Kazakhstan. The guests visited the Clinic of Psychiatry (Head Prof. Virginija Adomaitienė) and the Clinic of Family Medicine (hHead Prof. Leonas Valius); met with Prof. Renaldas Jurkevičius, General Director of LSMU Hospital Kauno Klinikos; visited Kaunas Psychiatric Hospital (Director Zita Liubertienė), Kaunas County Addiction Centre (Director Tautvydas Zikaras), Clinic of Psychiatry,  Republican Šiauliai Hospital (Director Eugenijus Mikaliūnas); and met with Petras Simavičius, General Director of Republican Šiauliai Hospital.

On November 26, Prof. Sagat Altynbekov and Prof. Žilvinas Padaiga, Dean of International Relations and Study Center, visited the Ministry of Social Security and Labour. The delegation was met by Mrs. Algimanta Pabedinskienė, Minister of Social Security and Labour; Mrs. Violeta Toleikienė, Director of Social Inclusion Department; and Ms. Aušra Makarevičiūtė, Adviser to the Minister. They discussed the possibilities for cooperation between Lithuania and Kazakhstan in the development of projects covering community services to people with mental disabilities. According to Mrs. Violeta Toleikienė, the former investments with the focus on facilities and not on the human rights were erroneous. Minister Algimanta Pabedinskienė stressed the significance of interinstitutional cooperation in the development of projects.

Besides, Prof. Sagat Altynbekov and Prof. Žilvinas Padaiga met with Prof. Dainius Pavalkis, Minister of Education and Science. During the meeting, they discussed the refresher courses for Kazakhstan specialists in Lithuania as well as postgraduate (PhD) studies.

The guests expressed their gratitude to Prof. Virginija Adomaitienė, Head of LSMU Clinic of Psychiatry, and Prof. Žilvinas Padaiga, Dean of International Relations and Study Centre, who had been accompanying the guests during the entire visit and answering their questions for the excellently organized programme of the visit. We hope that this visit has laid foundations for further cooperation projects between Lithuanian and Kazakh psychiatrists.