How to Make Cutting Edge Medical Services More Accessible in Emerging Markets? Beibitzhan Duisenkhan Explains

While Kazakhstan became the first country in Central Asia to achieve the WHO global target of 25% reduction in non-communicable diseases, the demand for advanced diagnostics still significantly surpasses supply. According to Kazakhstan’s International Trade Administration, 90% of medical devices are imported, and over a third of those in use are deemed obsolete.

In this environment, Beibitzhan Duisenkhan, a founder of Tenrgi LLC (the leading supplier of CT/MRI equipment in Kazakhstan) and Tenrgi Med (the network of cutting-edge diagnostic centers including the Center for Nuclear Medicine), aims to fill the critical gap, offering turnkey solutions that make modern diagnostic systems more accessible. His experience provides a valuable lesson for the emerging markets across the world: an example of finding the approach that benefits both manufacturers and patients.

«Before 2019, most private clinics in Kazakhstan relied on used CT and MRI machines from abroad, were expensive to maintain and dependent on foreign engineers. Delays in delivery and long downtimes were common, reducing the availability of modern diagnostic methods for those who need them the most. I saw an opportunity to change that by offering clinics a faster and more reliable solution»

recalls Beibitzhan Duisenkhan.

Since 2016, Beibitzhan Duisenkhan has worked as a regional manager for medical technology and service for Hitachi Healthcare in Kazakhstan. However, after three years, he found the business model of the regional Hitachi branch not efficient enough and decided to found Tengri LLC to sell medical equipment. This decision aligned with a wider global shift in which clinics increasingly prioritize uptime and total cost of ownership over brand legacy and one-off device purchases.

Amid the broader rise of Chinese medtech OEMs in diagnostic imaging, he established partnership with United Imaging Healthcare (UIH), a leading Chinese manufacturer of high-tech diagnostic equipment. Already established contacts with clinic owners and decision-makers helped Beibitzhan Duisenkhan to advance quickly, and in the following years, Tengri LLC was honored multiple times by UIH awards. One of the key factors for Tengri LLC’s success was the fact that it broke with the traditional sales-only approach, offering turnkey projects instead. The company covered the entire chain: from site assessment to the final equipment setup. A dedicated local engineering team available 24/7 removed the need to wait for overseas specialists to handle installation and maintenance. Moreover, the proximity to China enabled faster delivery of new CT units in comparison to manufacturers from Europe or the US.

The achievements were truly put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic, when travel restrictions across the world caused projects to pause wherever the service was overseas-dependent, while vendors with in-country teams were able to recover capacity faster. In these pressing circumstances, when the demands for CT imaging surged, the team of Tengri LLC managed to reorganize the process of installing and launching medical equipment, establishing the local engineering team, and working together with UIH to offer clinics in Kazakhstan reliable solutions.

Localizing critical functions, such as installation and training, is a crucial factor even in less drastic circumstances: they became a foundation for the stable growth of Tengri LLC in the following years, which translated into tangible numbers: In 2020, the market share of Tengri LLC reached 32%, and in 2021-2022, Tengri LLC was the top supplier of CT and MRI equipment in Kazakhstan.

«From day one, I focused not only on selling equipment, but ensuring the availability of further installation and maintenance. as well as building the team of best people – motivated engineers and sales professionals, who truly understand the needs of clinic owners»

says Beibitzhan Duisenkhan.

Over the course of several years, Tengri LLC changed the way private clinics approached the equipment installation, reassuring them that investing in new, high-specification equipment is a more profitable option. By redefining how CT and MRI systems were delivered through pairing advanced equipment with end-to-end project execution and a permanent local service presence, Beibitzhan Duisenkhan set a new benchmark for Kazakhstan’s med-tech sector and demonstrated the approach that is translatable to other industries.

Beyond Kazakhstan, the case offers a pragmatic playbook for import-dependent health-systems: competing on availability, not brand legacy; localizing critical services and shortening routes; standardizing turnkey solutions and providing stable maintenance becomes key factors to expanding on the market and providing clients with stable, high-quality medical services.