"A nurse from Smart Health University City LLP, which provides medical services to the university, sent documents with a list of third- and fourth-year students to the specialist of the dean's office on February 6 to ensure that they undergo a fluorography," the university wrote in a statement, "however, in addition to the names of the students, the documents also contained personal medical information."

The university added that "an appeal was sent to the Almaty city prosecutor's office with a request to take action on this fact on February 14," and that it is "considering terminating the contract with Smart Health University City LLP."

Before long, Kazakhstan's minister of science and higher education, Sayasat Nurbek, stepped in and said he had "taken control of the issue," adding, "those responsible will face punishment under our current legislation."

"The transfer of personal data, especially of a medical nature, is a violation," he noted.