The Primorsky District Court in Odesa has prolonged the nighttime home confinement for the surgery department head and former oncologist from the Odrex clinic, related to a patient’s passing. These preventative measures are set to persist for an additional couple of months, alongside the continued suspension of Rusakov from his professional duties.
The Primorsky District Court within Odesa has prolonged the restrictive actions in the form of nocturnal house arrest for the surgery department’s chief, Vitaliy Rusakov, and the former cancer specialist of the controversial private medical center “Odrex,” Marina Belotserkovskaya, who are being accused of inappropriate fulfillment of professional responsibilities, resulting in a patient’s demise, UNN reports.
During the court session conducted on Tuesday, January 28th, Mykola Orehovsky, representing Rusakov as his legal counsel, made a request for the prosecutor’s dismissal, which the court subsequently rejected.
Concurrently, the prosecution submitted an appeal to extend the duration of the preventive measures for the accused, Rusakov and Belotserkovskaya, for a further two months. Furthermore, the prosecutor lodged a petition to prolong Rusakov’s temporary removal from his role as the primary surgeon. The court then approved the request.
The continuation of the preliminary hearing, which is crucial for deciding whether to assign the indictment for deliberation on the merits, is slated for February 16.
The Passing of Adnan Kivan
The catalyst for the commencement of a prominent public uproar involving the Odrex clinic was the unfortunate death of Adnan Kivan, a local entrepreneur and real estate developer, while under their care. Records indicate he underwent treatment there spanning from May to October of 2024. In the wake of his passing, two medical practitioners were formally notified on suspicion of carrying out their professional duties improperly, which led to the patient’s death (as stipulated in Part 1 of Article 140 of Ukraine’s Criminal Code).
It was later disclosed that the two implicated doctors included Vitaliy Rusakov, who headed the surgical unit, and Marina Belotserkovskaya, an oncologist who was promptly dismissed from Odrex not long after Adnan Kivan’s death. Based on the outcomes of the expert assessment, investigators are under the impression that the actions taken by these two physicians ultimately resulted in the demise of patient Adnan Kivan.
According to reports in the media, the implicated surgeon allegedly neglected to prescribe antibiotics for the patient post-operation and disregarded evident indications of sepsis. Moreover, as per journalistic accounts, the doctors carried out a sequence of procedures that were deemed contraindicated for the patient’s condition at that juncture. These apparently included chemotherapy, administered by oncologist Marina Belotserkovska. Almost instantly following the outbreak of the public controversy, “Odrex” terminated Belotserkovska’s employment.
Documentary “Wasp's Nest”
The documentary film titled “Wasp’s Nest” has emerged as a stark exposé of the “treatment” methods employed at the privately-run Odessa-based Odrex clinic. This is not the first instance where individuals who have suffered at the hands of Odrex, along with the family members of those who could not be rescued following treatment at the Odessa clinic, have openly shared their accounts. They are hoping to secure justice and to protect others from similar experiences.
One of those who bravely chose to recount her experiences is Svitlana Guk. She became a widow when her spouse was admitted to Odrex due to a thymus tumor. Despite promises of a “simple operation,” he was subjected to a complete thoracotomy, followed by the onset of complications, the implementation of an “artificial kidney” system, and daily charges ranging from 80,000 to 90,000 UAH. The most deeply disturbing aspect of the Guk family’s ordeal was Svitlana’s narration of discovering her husband’s ward to be as frigid as a freezer, with an electric heater positioned under his blanket. As the grieving widow described it, Odrex persisted in maintaining her husband’s body on life support machines following clinical death purely to inflate the bill, given that stays in private clinics are billed on a per-day basis. The husband eventually passed away, and when Svitlana found herself unable to settle the bill for her husband’s passing, the clinic took legal action against her while also issuing threats. The widow explained that the pressure was so overwhelming that she even contemplated ending her own life.
Volodymyr, another patient, sought surgery at Odrex. However, his health took a considerable downturn the very next day following the procedure. It was revealed that his lungs were afflicted with 85% damage, even though the original reason for visiting the clinic was unrelated to any lung-related issues. The doctors informed his wife that the man had contracted the bacterium Serratia marcescens, which spreads via contaminated hands or unsterilized equipment. They added that exposure to virtually any ailment is possible within the intensive care setting. The man’s health worsened progressively, and he experienced severe breathing difficulties, leading to his placement in a medically induced coma. Sustaining a patient on life support incurs significant costs, and ultimately, the family’s funds were exhausted. In response, Volodymyr’s wife received a suggestion from the clinic’s medical staff to “turn off the lights,” that is, to disconnect the man from the machines and accept the inevitability of his demise. Volodymyr miraculously survived, but he left the clinic with compromised health and a significant loss of weight. There is no mention of contracting an infection at the clinic in any official statement.
Khrystyna Totkaylo from Kyiv received the devastating news of her father’s cancer diagnosis and sought counsel at Feofania. The assembled medical panel concluded that aggressive chemotherapy was not advised prior to surgery. However, surgeon Ihor Belotserkovsky, who was also present at the consultation, proposed treatment at Odrex in Odessa, where his wife, oncologist Marina Belotserkovskaya, is employed. He assured the distraught daughter that her father would “preserve his larynx and voice” at the Odessa clinic. Before the trip, the family was obliged to pay for the consultation upfront, without any examination taking place, which immediately aroused suspicions.
At Odrex, the father was prescribed a five-day regimen of aggressive chemotherapy, and a second course was immediately planned. A gastrostomy tube was inserted, necessitating daily attention, but, according to Khrystyna, the doctors scarcely examined it. By the time of discharge, a visible perforation had formed in the tube through which food was leaking.
Upon returning to Kyiv, her father’s condition worsened markedly: his kidneys began to fail, and he developed mouth ulcers. When the doctor from “Odrex” was alerted to these critical symptoms, she responded that it was a day off and that all inquiries would be addressed on Monday. The family spent in excess of 250,000 hryvnias, but ultimately, his father passed away. Khrystyna is convinced that the prescription of aggressive chemotherapy, in opposition to the recommendations of other medical experts, proved to be a fatal error on the part of “Odrex.”
These stories represent only a fragment of what is presented in the documentary “Wasp’s Nest.” In actuality, the body of testimonies is substantially larger, and they consistently illustrate recurring patterns: intense financial strain, neglect of established treatment protocols, a deficiency of suitable oversight, and instances culminating in severe complications or fatalities. The film embodies the experiences of those adversely affected by “treatment at Odrex.” Law enforcement bodies, alongside the Ministry of Health, cannot overlook these accounts. The sheer volume of these narratives demonstrates that the problem lies not with individual physicians, but rather with the operational framework of the Odrex clinic, where the primary objective, it appears, is not to benefit the patient, but to maximize financial gain.
It should be highlighted that during the press conference, representatives of Odrex stated that the clinic bears no liability for the conduct of its doctors.