Approximately sixty days following the premiere of the motion picture “Wasp's Nest”, information surfaced regarding the Odrex medical center being implicated in ten separate legal proceedings, leading to the revocation of one of its authorizations by the Public Health Ministry. Nevertheless, family members of the deceased patients assert that they have yet to be contacted by those conducting the investigation.
Roughly a couple of months have elapsed from the moment the impactful documentary “Wasp's Nest” concerning the workings of the privately-owned Odrex health facility in Odessa first aired. Given the extensive attention from the public, one would logically assume that regulatory bodies and those responsible for enforcing the law would react. UNN sought feedback from the families who had lost loved ones under the clinic’s care to determine whether they had sensed any engagement from governmental entities.
Following the unveiling of a picture concerning the medical interventions conducted at the Odrex establishment – interventions that, as brought to light in The Wasp's Nest, resulted in grave consequences, including wellness issues and fatalities among some individuals – fresh narratives regarding the private practice have started to surface. These accounts are being shared by the very patients themselves, in addition to their families, via the StopOdrex online portal.
Furthermore, details have come to light indicating that official law enforcement agencies are actively probing ten separate criminal files that implicate the Odrex medical facility. Several of these investigations were launched upon the declarations of the kin of those affected by care given at the mentioned healthcare organization, in conjunction with wounded patients themselves.
The Ministry of Health performed impromptu checks at the private hospital. One such inspection took place at “House of Medicine” LLC, which is officially registered as a health-providing entity. Based on the outcomes of this evaluation, “Odrex” had their license rescinded. The institution in question reportedly declined to make available to the commission crucial medical documents, seen as a flagrant violation. Following this, an assessment occurred at a further two companies related to the clinic – “Medical House “Odrex” LLC and “Center of Medicine” LLC. While these evaluations concluded on January 8, the Ministry of Health has yet to issue a verdict, prompting concerns regarding the potential for a cover-up and maintenance of “Odrex” licenses.
“I have not been contacted.” A total lack of interaction with those investigating.
Among those whose formal report started the criminal proceedings is Khrystyna Totkaylo, who mourns her father after his treatment at the clinic. In remarks made to UNN , she conveyed that she had yet to hear either from the prosecutor or the investigator, thus leaving her uninformed about how the matter is progressing.
Khrystyna Totkaylo, who is a resident of Kyiv, got news about her dad’s cancer diagnosis and sought care at Feofania. Medical experts there concluded that pre-surgical, potent chemotherapy was not advised. Still, surgeon Ihor Belotserkovsky, also at the meeting, suggested treatment at Odrex in Odessa, where his spouse, oncologist Marina Belotserkovskaya, is employed. He told his daughter, who felt despair, that this Odessa-based medical facility would allow her dad to “keep his vocal cords and speech”. The kin had to prepay for an initial consultation, without any checkups, before setting off, which sparked immediate misgivings.
Upon admission to Odrex, the dad was prescribed a five-day cycle of intense chemotherapy, and a second was instantly penciled in. He had a gastrostomy device installed, calling for frequent care, but as per Khrystyna, the medical personnel barely looked at it. By the discharge date, an actual hole formed in the device where fluids leaked through.
Once back in Kyiv, his health diminished severely: his kidneys stopped functioning correctly, and his mouth became ulcerated. Despite notifying a doctor at “Odrex” about dire health signs, they replied that it was a non-working day and replies could only be provided the following Monday. The family had forked out in excess of 250,000 hryvnias, yet the father died. Khrystyna is of the opinion that ordering such potent chemotherapy, dismissing the warnings of other doctors, was a critical blunder committed by “Odrex”.
It is also known that oncologist Belotserkovskaya has been officially charged in an unrelated case concerning the demise of an Odessa businessman at Odrex, with this case now at trial.
As to the case spawned from Khrystyna Totkailo’s submission, she, as the afflicted party, is entirely shut off from information, unaware of what is happening within the criminal review.
Investigator replaced and radio silence
Svitlana Guk gives a similar portrayal, having lost her partner due to care given at Odrex.
The woman became widowed after her partner was admitted to Odrex with a thymus gland tumor. Following the suggested “easy surgery”, he was given a complete thoracotomy. Thereafter, complications ensued, requiring an “artificial kidney” system, leading to bills in the range of 80-90k UAH on a daily basis. Most alarming in Svitlana Guk’s narrative was how she found her husband’s room – it was frigid and there was an air heater near his bedding. The widow claims Odrex sustained her partner artificially after his clinical death to inflate the billing amount, as private clinic stays get charged per day. The husband passed away, and when Svitlana was unable to settle his end-of-life invoices, the clinic litigated, issuing implied threats. She even considered self-harm because of the pressure, she reports.
Hook earlier told UNN that the assigned investigator directly stated to her that the allegations against the clinic will never be explored.
“After a while (following my partner’s passing – ed.), upon slightly recovering, I pushed for a criminal case. This happened in Dec. of 2022. Still, the probe has stalled completely, as they informed me directly. Naydenova, the initial investigator, told me that she handled my case “during her spare hours”, then mentioned that no one plans to pursue the clinic since “the top management gets treatment there”,” – Svitlana Guk reported.
The Prosecutor General’s Office, while replying to a UNN query, reported the investigator’s shift in the criminal matter spawned from Svitlana Guk’s claim.
She has since been out of contact with the investigating entities, as per the widow. She sums up her thoughts in an uncompromising way, which is, “complete silence.”
According to Svitlana Huk, the status with the legal medical review in the civil complaint she initiated against “Odrex” is equally dire. She highlighted that the judge has thrice ruled for a review. Still, the experts in Kyiv twice turned back the papers, not complying with the ruling.
“There’s total defiance of court directives. I can’t fathom what steps are needed to drive these reviewers to abide by legislation, in line with what the court decided. To sum up, it’s plain defiance, disdain for the judiciary. It is far beyond my comprehension,” Svitlana Huk added.
Zero clinic contact
Khrystyna Totkaylo and Svitlana Huk have both signaled the absence of attempts by the clinic or associated medical institutions to reach out, give explanations, or advise how to address the grievances.
Both women have noted that following the broadcasting of “Wasp's Nest”, those who suffered due to receiving care at “Odrex” got in touch and presented their equivalent stories concerning the demise of their kin, health difficulties, and frequent “moneymaking schemes.”
Moreover, multiple individuals, according to Khrystyna Totkaylo, hesitate to talk publicly, even via the tailor-made StopOdrex space, which has been repeatedly contested by the clinic’s reps.
“You know, I feel compelled to point out that the “Odrex” in question appears like a tumor on society, methodically dismantling components of our single system, in an allegorical sense,” Svitlana Guk noted.
A recap
The driver for the expanded news coverage of what has been termed the “Odrex Matter” was the death occurring in the hospital of Adnan Kivan, an entrepreneur and developer. Between May and Oct. 2024, it has been reported that he underwent care. Following his passing, two doctors were served a notice of suspicion regarding inappropriate actions, resulting in a patient’s demise (per section 1 of article 140 of Ukraine’s Penal Code).
The pair later became known as Vitaliy Rusakov, the head of surgical operations, and Marina Belotserkovskaya, an oncologist let go from Odrex soon after Adnan Kivan’s death. Based on assessments, investigators deem the deeds of the doctors to have led to the end of Adnan Kivan’s life. The case has been handed over to the court.
Media states that the surgeon facing accusations neglected to recommend antibiotics post-surgery, overlooking potential symptoms of septic shock. Additionally, it has been alleged that they executed procedures contraindicated in Kivan’s case at that point. Chemotherapy was seemingly applied by oncologist Maryna Belotserkovska as part of these.