14 December 1990, General Assembly of the UN by its 45/106 resolution decided to consider 1 October as the International Day of Older Persons. At first, the Day of Older Persons was celebrated in Europe, then in America, and at the end of 1990-ies already worldwide. This holiday is widely celebrated in Kazakhstan as well! It became a good tradition, that on this day every working collective, whether it be a big production facility or small enterprises, invites guests from among the pensioners or former employees, arranges concerts, sets the festive table, gives presents, visits elderly persons at home!

Department of Introduction into Clinic of KSMU in anticipation of the holiday arranged a big concert on the basis of CSE City Hospital No. 1 at the Nursing facility. As you know, the Nursing facility was the first Karaganda Nursing facility opened in Prishakhtinsk and has already 2 years of work by now. During this period in the Nursing facility was nearly a thousand of people. Most of them were elderly persons who need to be taken care of, i.e. people who, for one reason or another, need but can not receive care at home. Students of first and second year actively assist the medical staff of the hospital. It is known that one nurse and two aides can not take care of everyone, approach everyone, help, or just talk. And that is where our students are very much in demand.

Students themselves before the holiday decided to decorate the Nursing facility, organize a concert, and give many sweets. It is gratifying to know that this year students of first year of foreign faculty decided to participate in the activity. They suggested performing Indian songs and enchanting dances. Senior Nurse of theNursing facility approved such idea, as for many elderly women it could be pleasant memories of the time when they were young and loved to go to the cinema to watch Indian films.

In General, the concert was a success: the audience applaudedloudly, encored the performers. A 3-year student Bugibaev Arman to the music read a poem of S. Esenin titled “Ты жива еще моя старушка?” (Are you alive, my old lady?), a second-year student A. Agibaeva sang cheerful ditties, followed by rousing Uygur, Uzbek folk dances. The faculty staff did not remain uninvolved and gave gifts to the patients. The concert ended with a performance of a medley of favorite songs of the Soviet time in unison to the accompaniment of guitars. Everyone enjoyed thefestive occasion, and the patients did not want to leave. The medical staff expressed gratitude to the students and teachers and noted that we lend feast to their monotonous level life! It has been a long time since the patients were so happy.

At the end of the event, a 1-year student V. Egorova burst into tears and when I asked her what happened, she said she felt sympathy for all elderly persons of the Hospital, because even in such day their children did not either take them home or at least visited their parents, grandmothers and grandfathers.

I was touched, too. It is so nice that our students are kind and capable of empathizing, compassionating. I am sure that in future they will become good doctors!

S.E. Khalmuradova

Assistant of Department of Introduction into Clinic.