Three people died after using counterfeit medicines at the St. Petersburg Consultative and Diagnostic Center No. 1. More than 20 were injured, two of them are now in intensive care. All victims were taking barium sulfate. If it were not for the deaths, the investigating authorities would not have intervened in the situation and medical research, unsafe for St. Petersburg residents, would have continued for who knows how long. According to the city health committee, low-quality barium sulfate, which led to the death of three people, was also used in other clinics in St. Petersburg.
On January 26, law enforcement agencies received information that over the past two days, six Petersburgers with the same signs of poisoning with an unknown substance were taken to the hospital named after. Botkin. Suspicions were raised by the fact that all of them had undergone gastrography (X-ray of the stomach) using barium sulfate the day before in the City Consultative and Diagnostic Center No. 1 (CDC). Doctors often prescribe contrast radiography of the upper gastrointestinal tract to patients with diseases such as ulcers, gastritis, gastric hernia, neoplasms in the form of a tumor, etc. Barium sulfate is used for contrast: it reflects x-rays and allows you to get more detailed pictures. Patients usually take the drug orally before and during the study.
As Novaya Gazeta was told by the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation in St. barium), which does not meet the requirements for the safety of life and health of consumers, instead of a certified medical product.
Two of the six urgently hospitalized — a 60-year-old woman and a 42-year-old man (father of four children) — did not live until the morning of January 26. Another woman died in the hospital. Botkin January 27th. In all cases, the exact cause of death will become known only after the conclusions of the forensic medical examination, they are not yet available. But this does not prevent investigators from confidently talking about barium sulfate poisoning.
On January 28, the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for St. Petersburg opened a criminal case under Part 3 of Art. 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation “Causing death by negligence” and under part 3 of Art. 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation «Provision of services that do not meet the requirements of the safety of life and health of consumers.» In the evening of the same day, investigators seized documentation and equipment from the medical facility. The city prosecutor's office took control of the course and results of the investigation.
— We are shocked. These studies have been carried out since the beginning of the center’s work, and there have never been any complications,” Evgeny Popov, chief physician of CDC No. 1, commented on January 27 on air of the St. Petersburg TV channel. — At the moment, the research is stopped, the investigation is being sorted out. The used drug was sent for examination. Doctors' actions are being checked.
Chief Physician of CDC No. 1 Evgeny Popov. Freeze Frame
The investigation sorted out and decided on who would be responsible for what happened quickly: on January 28, operatives detained the head physician of CDC No. 1 as a suspect. And a few hours later, the court took Yevgeny Popov into custody until March 26.
According to version of the investigation, “Popov approved an application for the purchase of the drug
Barium sulfate 0.10 (H2O)% from NevaReaktiv LLC, which is not included in the state register of medicines, cannot be used for medical purposes and is dangerous for human life and health.
The drug was purchased and used in the provision of medical services at CDC No. 1 from 01/10/2022 to 01/26/2022. The Main Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for St. Petersburg is not yet ready to answer the question of holding the supplier liable.
The chief doctors of St. >»No clinic manager, unless he is an idiot and a suicide, will not buy a low-quality drug, knowingly knowing about its potential danger.»
But there is another problem, and all the head physicians are asked not to forget about it: today, with any purchase, the hospital can be foisted with who knows what. Since, according to the law on public procurement, the heads of medical institutions are forced to buy medicines from the supplier who offers the lowest price. If a company trades in counterfeit goods, it is not surprising that its price will be lower.
Purchasing proven products, but more expensive, is fraught for the head physician: they can be punished for waste.
On January 28, the City Health Committee reported that barium sulfate, after taking which three people died in CDC No. 1, was also used in other medical institutions in St. Petersburg. Roszdravnadzor urgently banned the use of the drug.
PS
While this material was being prepared, the Oktyabrsky District Court of St. Petersburg arrested the head physician Evgeny Popov.
officially
Olga Ryabinina,
Press Secretary of the St. Petersburg Health Committee
— The Health Committee provides the necessary assistance to the investigating authorities in connection with cases of death of patients after an X-ray examination of the stomach at the City Consultative and Diagnostic Center No. 1.
The CDC requested lists of patients who underwent these studies in the last two weeks . Calling them was organized to clarify the status and, if necessary, to provide assistance. Consultations of toxicologists are organized in the medical center. The territorial branch of Roszdravnadzor, as well as the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation, were informed about the incident. The heads of administrations of all districts of St. Petersburg, as well as the chief physicians of health care institutions, were notified of the need to urgently suspend the use of this batch of barium sulphate. The letter draws attention to the need to strictly comply with the requirements of the instructions for the medical use of the drug.
Now the Health Committee is checking the procedure for purchasing the drug and the job descriptions of the institution's employees. Based on the results, conclusions will be presented about the causes of the incident and the persons who committed the violations.