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The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia holds a personal reception of citizens on the provision of medical care

Mr. Alexander Ivanovich Bastrykin, Chairman of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, held a video-conferencing reception of citizens. It was attended by: Mr. Eduard Valeryevich Kaburneev, First Deputy Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Heads of departmental Units of the Main Directorate, and the senior staff and Officers of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Lipetskaya oblast.

At the reception Mr. A.I. Bastrykin listened to the applicants from Lipetskaya oblast, and they reported about the shortcomings in the provision of medical care in medical institutions in their region.

So, one of the women who applied for reception lost her daughter four years ago, who died at the age of two. The child was taken twice to the Lipetskaya Oblast Children's Hospital and the Clinical Infectious Diseases Hospital for Lipetskaya Oblast, but, according to the mother, no proper treatment was prescribed. The investigating authorities of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Lipetskaya Oblast launched a criminal investigation on the mentioned above fact in accordance with the paragraphs. "b, c" Part 2, Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (performance of work or provision of services that do not meet safety requirements, committed in relation to children under the age of six and negligently entailed the death of a person). However, the applicant voiced her dissatisfaction with the investigation as itself and with the results of it. She also expressed her disagreement with the conclusions of the forensic medical examinations and her conviction that there was a causal relationship between the actions of the medical staff of the purulent surgery unit of the medical institution and the further death of the child. In addition, the woman reported the facts of possible forgery and falsification of medical documents that require legal assessment. After listening to the mentioned above arguments, as well as the report of Mr. E.V. Shapovalov, Head of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Lipetskaya Oblast, the Head of the Department instructed to refer the criminal case to the Main Investigative Directorate of the Russian Investigative Committee for further investigation and to detect in details all the circumstances of the incident.

Also to Mr. A.I. Bastrykin was approached by a resident of Lipetsk, her newborn daughter died in 2019 in the Perinatal Center of Lipetskaya oblast. On this fact, the Investigating Authorities also launched a criminal case (paragraph "c", Part 2, Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), the investigation of which has not been finalized up to date. At the same time, the complainant claims that the preliminary investigation is conducted in an improper manner. Despite the certain shortcomings in the tactics of childbirth, the medical workers responsible for the death of her daughter have not yet been prosecuted. In addition, the files of the criminal case contain conflicting conclusions of experts regarding a causal relationship between defects in the provision of medical care and the death of an infant. The Head of the Department noted the need to obtain an objective final opinion of experts on this issue.

Another appeal about the shortcomings admitted was received from the mother of a newborn girl. The child died in 2019 in the intensive care unit of the specified medical institution. According to the applicant, in the actions of medical workers of the Perinatal Center for Lipetskaya Oblast were not correct. The Investigating Authorities of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Lipetskaya Oblast are investigating a criminal case on this fact, launched in 2020 on the pffense of a crime prescribed in Part 2, Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (Infliction of death by negligence due to improper performance by a person of his professional duties). However, to date, no one has been prosecuted, which causes the complainant's concern. Mr. A.I. Bastrykin asked about the results of the commission forensic medical examination and noted the inadmissibility of the guilty ones to avoid the liability provided by law due to the expiration of the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution.

A local resident filed a complaint against the illegal actions of medical workers of the Children's Hospital for Lipetskaya oblast; she lost her 16-year-old daughter in 2019. The girl was taken to the indicated medical institution with complaints of abdominal pain and was hospitalized, she was diagnosed with Crohn's disease. The patient died two months later. According to the mother of the deceased girl, the doctors are responsible for the death of her daughter, since the diagnosis they made was incorrect. On this fact, the Investigating Authorities of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for Lipetskaya Oblast also launched a criminal case (Part 2, Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation), the investigation of it has not been finalized yet.

After hearing the applicants' complaints and the report of Mr E.V. Shapovalov, The Head of the Department instructed to refer all the listed criminal cases to the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for further investigation, as well as to organize a comprehensive inspection of the activities of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia in Lipetskaya oblast. The Chairman of the Investigative Committee noted an increase in the number of applications from citizens, including on issues of medical care and drug provision in the region.

The Head of the Department added that criminal investigations of crimes related to healthcare are quite complex for investigation and require an independent and principled expert assessment in order to identify the objective truth.

At the end of the event, Mr. A.I. Bastrykin emphasized that a lengthy investigation of criminal cases of mentioned category is unacceptable, since all these facts are tragedies that have caused the undying pain of loss. The identification of persons guilty of crimes and their prosecution should be a matter of honor for every officer of the Investigative Committee of Russia.