Russian doctor with COVID-19 falls from hospital building after being 'forced to work'

Russian doctor with COVID-19 disease mysteriously fell from a hospital window over the weekend after complaining about being forced to work despite being infected. Moscow Times cited local media reports stating that 37-year-old paramedic, Alexander Shulepov is now under a critical condition with fractures in the skull after falling from the second floor of the hospital in the western part of the country, where he was being treated for coronavirus. Before Shulepov, at least two other medical professionals in Russia have plunged from a hospital building amid the global health crisis.

According to reports, Shulepov and one of his colleagues had recorded a video on April 22 to voice their complaints against the chief doctor at the Novaya Usman village hospital who pressurised the 37-year-old to work despite having contracted the disease. However, this video was followed by another clip by the paramedic who denied his previous claims as being “emotional”.

Shulepov’s colleague, Alexander Kosyakin reportedly has criminal charges against him for spreading “fake news” about coronavirus during the global health crisis. Under the recently passed legislation by the Russian government, such charges now carry a prison sentence for up to five years. 

Read - Dmitry Kuznetsov Beaten Up In Russia After Releasing Khabib Nurmagomedov Diss Track

Read - China Issues Covid Diktat For Visitors From Russia; Mandates Pre-flight Nucleic Acid Test

Probe opened into the incident

Police authorities have opened an investigation into Shulepov’s fall, however, the two healthcare professionals who had previously plunged from hospitals have died from severe injuries. The 37-year-old was working at a hospital in Voronezh region near Moscow which has reportedly confirmed at least 636 coronavirus cases on May 4 that is less than one per cent of the nationwide count. Russia has recorded 134,687 confirmed cases of COVID-19 disease out of which, at least 41 are medical professionals. 

Just last week before Shulepov, the head of Krasnoyarsk Regional Hospital for War Veterans, Yelena Nepomnyashchaya fell from the fifth floor after having a chat with the head of health department of the region. Russian media reports have stated that she was allegedly opposing the admission of more COVID-19 patients in the hospital due to lack of personal protective equipment for the staff. Another media outlet quoted a source saying that the lack of gears of staff ‘perhaps’ prompted Nepomnyashchaya to ‘ commit desperate act’.

Read - Many Lockdowns Ease But Russia, UK Still Struggling

Read - Russia Reports More Than 10,000 New Coronavirus Cases