“Salamatty Kazakhstan” TrainProvides Medical and Legal Assistance to 100,000 Rural Residents

The latest route of the “Salamatty Kazakhstan” medical and legal train has concluded in Almaty. This year, the project once again confirmed its significance as one of the most effective mechanisms for improving access to healthcare and legal aid in hard-to-reach regions: doctors and lawyers on board assisted nearly 100,000 rural residents. The project is implemented in partnership with the National Commission on Women and Family and Demographic Policy, the corporate foundation Samruk-Kazyna Trust on behalf of the Samruk-Kazyna group of companies, and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Covering more than 20,000 kilometers, the train visited 123 villages across 17 regions of the country. The project’s geography spans remote areas of western Kazakhstan as well as villages in the east, north, and south, where access to medical and legal services is particularly limited due to distance and shortages of specialists. A total of 29 specialized physicians worked on board the train. Over the course of the route, 95,812 people sought medical consultations, with every third patient being a child. Thanks to early-stage diagnostics, doctors identified more than 2,000 cases of serious chronic diseases, including cancer, diabetes, glaucoma, thrombosis, and cardiovascular conditions. Early detection enabled rural residents to seek timely and comprehensive medical care. Demand for qualified legal assistance also remained high. Legal specialists processed 3,712 requests, with 67% of beneficiaries being women. Consultations covered civil and administrative law, land and housing disputes, social protection, employment issues, as well as criminal law matters. In addition to consultations, lawyers provided case management for complex situations. Notable outcomes included the recovery of funds for victims of online fraud — including cases where money was returned one to two years after the incident; preparation and submission of court cases related to money mules (“droppers”); assistance with obtaining social benefits and allowances; support in replacing unsafe housing; and optimization of debt obligations to banks and microfinance organizations, including restructuring and reduction of financial burden. “In recent years, legal assistance has become especially in demand among rural residents due to the rise in digital fraud, difficulties in document processing, and limited access to free legal aid in rural districts. Whereas previously most inquiries concerned civil law, today people increasingly seek help on criminal matters as well,” said Alfiya Adieva, member of the National Commission and CEO of Samruk-Kazyna Trust. Over 13 years of operation, the project has provided assistance to more than 850,000 people, making it one of the largest initiatives in Central Asia in terms of outreach in mobile healthcare and free legal support.