SHYMKENT. September 22. KAZINFORM. /Tatyana Pylayeva/ "Annually 9,000 Kazakhstanis need cardiological help, particularly the help of heart surgeons", President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has said during his visit to South Kazakhstan cardiology center. "I have made a decision to closely develop this sphere of healthcare. For today Shymkent has all conditions for saving lives. It has modern and expensive equipment. Now everything depends on you, work for the good of our people!" N. Nazarbayev said addressing the health workers. As reported earlier, the cardiac surgery department was built and put into service within the Program of development of cardiological and cardiac surgery in Kazakhstan for 2007-2009. The first open heart surgeries were conducted here. The capacity of the center allows to conduct about 300 such surgeries per year. The center is equipped with modern diagnostic, laboratory and operating equipment.