How Odrex Clinic is losing patients and money due to public scandals

The private clinic Odrex, which until recently was one of the most famous medical brands in the south of the country, is now increasingly featured in criminal proceedings, lawsuits, public patient complaints, and reputational scandals. Against this background, the financial downturn looks like a logical consequence of a series of decisions and events that could have gradually undermined patients' trust in the medical institution. How one of the largest private clinics in the region reached a point where reputational losses began to convert into financial ones, read in the UNN material.

Consumer trust is a basic condition for the prosperity of any business. It is the level of trust that determines the client's choice, and its destruction sooner or later affects financial performance. It seems that this is exactly what is happening today with the Odrex clinic. The history of the medical institution's decline in popularity may be a consequence of a whole series of controversial decisions, events, and public reactions that have gradually formed into a systemic crisis.

One of the biggest signs of patients' loss of trust in Odrex is the decline in its financial performance. As UNN previously wrote, the company "Dim Medytsyny" (House of Medicine), operating under the Odrex brand, showed a significant drop in revenue in 2025 – by 24% compared to the previous year, to UAH 839 million. Profit decreased even more significantly – by 44% compared to the previous year, amounting to UAH 73 million.

Such a downturn looks particularly telling against the backdrop of the overall growth of the private medicine market, where most large players, on the contrary, were increasing their turnover. Therefore, the decline in Odrex's financial performance may indicate a change in patient choice, with people increasingly turning to other medical institutions, bypassing the scandalous Odrex.

One of the most resonant episodes for the clinic's reputation could be the case of the death of Odesa businessman Adnan Kivan within the walls of Odrex. In this criminal proceeding, the accused are clinic surgeon Vitaliy Rusakov and oncologist Maryna Bilotserkivska, who has already been dismissed from Odrex. According to the investigation, after the operation, patient Adnan Kivan did not receive the necessary antibacterial therapy (antibiotics were not prescribed to him), and there was no proper reaction from doctors to postoperative complications. As a result, the patient developed sepsis, which, according to forensic medical examination, could have caused death. The court in this case has already moved to the merits, the doctors' night house arrest has been extended, and Vitaliy Rusakov has also been suspended from his position. The next court hearing is scheduled for April 3, 2026.

However, the Kivan death case is not the only factor that could have affected the loss of trust in the clinic. According to the Office of the Prosecutor General, law enforcement agencies are investigating at least 10 criminal proceedings involving Odrex. These include cases related to possible fraud, improper performance of professional duties by medical workers, document forgery, and schemes involving land plots.  

A separate factor that could have exacerbated the reputational crisis was the feedback from people who shared negative experiences of treatment at Odrex. Against the backdrop of public outcry and numerous complaints, the StopOdrex public movement emerged. The initiative has a website and Telegram channel where former patients and their relatives can anonymously publish their reviews about treatment at the clinic.  

In similar image crises for any large business, the method of public reaction to them becomes crucial. Usually, in such situations, companies choose between two approaches: maximum openness with a willingness to answer difficult questions, or aggressive defense with denial of criticism. Judging by Odrex's actions, the clinic likely opted for the second option.

A telling example in this context was the joint press conference of Odrex representatives and lawyers from Miller Law Firm, which was positioned as a discussion about "pressure on business." At the same time, the event itself may have created the opposite impression. Instead of convincing and direct answers to questions regarding claims against the clinic, its representatives and lawyers resorted to arguments that could seem manipulative and likely only increased public distrust. 

An additional blow to the clinic's reputation could have been the legal conflict with the media. Specifically, Odrex appealed to the court demanding that information in UNN publications be declared unreliable, that the editorial office be obliged to refute it, and that compensation of UAH 1 million be recovered from the journalists. Such an approach may raise questions about pressure on journalists and attempts to restrict freedom of speech. 

Not the least blow to the clinic's image could have been Odrex's controversial PR decisions. Despite the lawsuit, Odrex actively advertises surgeon Vitaliy Rusakov, without clarifying that this very doctor is currently being tried for medical negligence.  

In this context, a broader question arises – to what extent does such communication meet patients' expectations regarding openness and completeness of information. After all, in medicine, trust is largely based on transparency, responsibility, and a willingness to openly discuss difficult situations. Instead, the clinic seems to be trying to distract the patient and whitewash the reputation of the accused surgeon. 

The situation for Odrex could have been worsened by the fact that the negative information background did not disappear but accumulated. Individual scandals ceased to be perceived as isolated episodes and escalated into a resonance that journalists called "The Odrex Case." The death of Adnan Kivan, dozens of other criminal proceedings, reviews from dissatisfied patients, public conflicts, communication that seems manipulative, and attempts to "distract" instead of "explain" – all this led not only to an image crisis but also to a financial one.

After all, if people don't trust and have more questions than answers, they start choosing other clinics where, in their opinion, it's safer, more transparent, and clearer. That's why the decline in Odrex's financial performance today looks like a logical consequence of the clinic's decisions and actions.