Talgat faces a difficult situation: the effects of an injury have lasted a lifetime, but the records explaining how it happened could not be found decades later. He says the missing paperwork became an obstacle to obtaining disability status. His story shows how demanding the route to social protection can be.
What happened to Talgat?
Talgat says that in 1981–1982, while still a minor, he was involved in agricultural work in Karkaraly District, Karaganda Region. An accident occurred during that work. The effects of the injuries to his hands remain today.
A medical opinion dated 17 March 2026 describes the consequences of finger amputations and restricted movement in the left wrist. It confirms the current condition of his hands. Establishing where and in what circumstances the original injury occurred is a separate evidential question.
What did the hospital and local authority say?
The documented correspondence about the archive search began in April 2026:
- 23 April: the akimat, or local executive authority, sent a request to Karkaraly District Hospital.
- 28 April: the hospital replied that its medical archive for 1981–1982 was unavailable. Records of the injury and inpatient treatment had not been preserved.
- 29 April: the akimat told Talgat it could not provide the requested information and pointed to the possibility of applying to court to establish a legally significant fact.
- 5 June: a further reply confirmed that no additional archival information was available.
The hospital explained that the documents had probably been destroyed after their retention period expired. That is the wording of the response. The correspondence does not establish that anyone wrongfully lost the archive.
Why was a current medical opinion not enough?
The prepared court application sets out Talgat’s position: he was asked to establish that the injury was work-related for the disability assessment process. A photograph of his hand or a current doctor’s opinion cannot, by itself, prove those historical circumstances.
There are two distinct questions: what limitations the person has now, and how the circumstances of an old injury can be established. When these are treated as one issue, a person can become caught between a medical commission and an archive that can no longer issue a certificate.
What next step has been prepared?
An application to court has been prepared to establish the fact of an accident connected with work. It brings together information about the injury, medical records, official replies and the possibility of supporting the account with witness testimony.
A prepared application is not a court judgment. This article does not report a completed court case or the award of disability status to Talgat. At this stage, the work concerns evidence and overcoming the documentation barrier.
Why share this story?
As a lawyer who has lived with a disability since childhood, Zhan Botanov knows how much effort it can take to explain and prove a person’s situation. The consequences of an injury do not disappear simply because an old file has not survived.
If you face a similar problem, gather the replies you have received and explain which records are missing. We can start with the facts and discuss possible next steps. Together we are stronger.