The Kyiv Court of Appeal will today at 11:40 consider the appeal against the pre-trial detention measure for oncologist Maryna Bielotserkovska. The Court of Appeal, chaired by Judge Yulia Matviienko, may change the pre-trial detention measure from round-the-clock house arrest to night-time house arrest, reports UNN.
Within the framework of the case concerning the death of patient Adnan Kivan, a businessman who was undergoing treatment at the Odesa private clinic "Odrex", the Pechersk District Court of Kyiv chose a pre-trial detention measure for oncologist Maryna Bielotserkovska in the form of round-the-clock house arrest. Bielotserkovska is one of two suspects in criminal proceedings under Part 1 of Article 140 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine - improper performance of professional duties by a medical worker, which caused the death of a patient.
A forensic medical examination established that during Adnan Kivan's treatment, the doctors failed to adequately respond to signs of complications, did not prescribe the necessary medications, including antibiotics after surgery, and performed procedures that were contraindicated for the patient given his condition. Experts concluded that there was a direct causal link between the doctors' actions and Kivan's death on October 27, 2024. It should be noted that after the developer's death, Bielotserkovska was dismissed from the clinic.
In addition to Bielotserkovska, her former colleague, Vitaliy Rusakov, head of the surgical department at the "Odrex" medical center, has also been notified of suspicion within the framework of the criminal proceedings.
The Kyiv Court of Appeal has already held a hearing regarding the pre-trial detention measure for Vitaliy Rusakov. According to its results, Vitaliy Rusakov, suspected of improper performance of professional duties that caused the patient's death, was ordered to be under house arrest from 11:00 PM to 6:00 AM. Given the "curfew" in the country, the suspected doctor is currently no more restricted than all other Ukrainians. This court decision caused public outrage.
Moreover, Rusakov himself smiled and joked in court, and afterwards published a selfie with an electronic bracelet on social media. The families of deceased patients called such behavior a manifestation of cynicism and disrespect for the deceased.
New stories of affected patients of the "Odrex" clinic
After Adnan Kivan's death, stories of patients of the Odesa clinic "Odrex" began to appear one after another - people decided not to remain silent anymore. Those who for years were afraid to speak publicly are now daring to tell stories about how treatment at "Odrex" turned into abuse, professional help - into dangerous experiments, and medicine - into a cold financial calculation to "extract the last" from the patient's family. In the documentary film "Wasp's Nest", relatives of affected and deceased patients tell about their experiences.
One of them is Svitlana Huk, whose husband died in "Odrex". While he was in intensive care, the clinic, according to her, issued bills for 80-90 thousand hryvnias daily. The woman suspects that her husband could have been kept on life support even after clinical death - but not for salvation, but to continue issuing bills. When the woman could no longer pay, she was directly offered to hand over the documents for the apartment so that the clinic's lawyers could quickly sell it. After her husband's death, the clinic, without stopping, sued her, demanding an additional 900 thousand hryvnias.
Another patient, Volodymyr, came to "Odrex" for an operation, during which he was likely infected with the bacterium Serratia Marcescens. This bacterium is transmitted through dirty hands or instruments. The clinic did not deny this, stating that "this is intensive care - you can catch anything here." Such a response may indicate that the staff understands that the intensive care unit in the clinic does not meet the stated standards, is not sterile, and that this is a systemic problem, not a one-time case. The infection affected 85% of Volodymyr's lungs, he was put into a medical coma, and he lost 15 kg. Volodymyr's wife still repeats that her husband "miraculously survived after this treatment."
Khrystyna Totkailo tells about her father, who, at the insistence of "Odrex" doctors, was prescribed aggressive chemotherapy, despite the warnings of Kyiv specialists. She recalls promises that "they would save his voice and larynx," and how her father returned home with virtually no chance of survival. The aggressive treatment, in her opinion, not only did not help - it broke him.
Kateryna Boichuk recalls how she sent her mother to a "expensive clinic with a good reputation," and three weeks later picked up her body. Her mother underwent surgery, but the doctors, according to Kateryna, could never determine the diagnosis. Daily calls at night, confused explanations, endless sums in bills - and death. Kateryna says: "I trusted these doctors, and now I wouldn't even trust them with a cold prescription."
All these stories with different diagnoses, different circumstances, different people have one common feature - the feeling that the lives of patients in "Odrex" are valued much less than the money that can be obtained for "treatment." The victims and families of the deceased speak of medical errors, negligence, cynicism, but above all - of the absence of elementary humanity.
As the investigation continues, more and more people are coming forward with new stories. And each of them sounds like new evidence that the problem is much deeper than individual doctors. The problem, it seems, lies in the very structure of the "Odrex" clinic, which allows such an attitude towards people, their health, and their lives.