Ministry of Health to inspect all maternity hospitals in Kazakhstan. What inspectors will look for

Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan is set to inspect all 69 maternity hospitals across the country. Inspectors will assess compliance with infection control protocols at maternity wards and perinatal centers to mitigate the risk of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) among mothers and newborns. The audits are scheduled for completion by August 15, citing the The Ministry of Health .
What the maternity hospital inspections will cover
According to the Ministry of Health, the inspections will be conducted by the Sanitary and Epidemiological Control Committee. Specialists will evaluate whether infection control requirements, designed to ensure maximum safety for mothers and newborns, are being met. They will also work on strengthening the prevention of healthcare-associated infections.

"The primary objective of the infection control system is to prevent risks rather than react to their consequences. Every case of infection must prompt a professional analysis and lead to decisions that enhance patient safety," Health Minister Akmaral Alnazarova stated in the report.

Expected changes in maternity hospitals
The Minister has issued the following directives:

Revise current approaches to investigating infection cases;
Update sanitary regulations and state control checklists with a focus on prevention;
Provide an objective assessment of the causes of every case (of healthcare-associated infection — Ed.) to improve the effectiveness of the national infection control system.

Regional health departments are required to:

Provide medical organizations with all necessary supplies for disinfection and sterilization;
Supply personal protective equipment (PPE);
Equip facilities with modern machinery and disposable consumables;
Organize systematic training for medical workers on infection control issues.

Incidence of healthcare-associated infections following childbirth
According to data from the National Center for Public Health, 354,085 children were born in Kazakhstan in 2024.
During this period, 85 cases of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) were recorded following childbirth:

Endometritis (60 cases);
Septic infections at the site of surgical wounds (12 cases);
Sepsis (4 cases);
Other forms of septic infections (4 cases);
Septic infections at the site of postpartum wounds (3 cases);
Peritonitis (2 cases).

Note: Healthcare-associated infections (formerly referred to as nosocomial or hospital-acquired infections) are infections that patients acquire while receiving medical care or shortly thereafter, provided there were no signs of infection at the time of admission. The most common infections include postpartum endometritis (inflammation of the uterine lining), surgical site infections, urinary tract infections, mastitis, and, in severe cases, sepsis.
The identified causes of these infections included:• Failure to follow aseptic and antiseptic rules — 16 cases;• Violations of hand hygiene protocols by medical staff — 13 cases;• Breaches in disinfection and sterilization regimes — 12 cases;• Other causes — 44 cases.
Why the inspection was launched now
The Ministry of Health did not specify the exact reason for the timing of the audit. The department only noted that "the prevention of healthcare-associated infections remains a key indicator of the quality and safety of medical care."
In recent weeks, safety in maternity care has come under intense scrutiny following a tragic incident in the Almaty region, where three newborns died after a premature birth. Relatives of the mother who lost her infants suggested that medical errors may have been committed during the delivery of care.
The Karasay District Hospital, where the incident occurred, reported that the patient was admitted at 25 weeks of pregnancy. It was noted that transferring her to another medical facility was not possible.

"A triplet birth at 25 weeks is an extremely severe case requiring emergency medical intervention. The woman was hospitalized, and at 7:00 AM, three infants were born with extremely low birth weight. At this stage of gestation, vital organs—particularly the lungs and central nervous system—are not yet fully formed. An internal audit of the quality of medical care provided is currently underway," the hospital stated.

Following the incident, the family filed a report with law enforcement authorities.