Kamchatka Health Minister Removed Over Hepatitis Outbreak

Following a scandal involving the infection of nearly 50 cancer clinic patients with hepatitis, the Kamchatka Health Minister, Alexander Gashkov, has been dismissed from his post, reports NewsBox. 

In the Kamchatka region, Health Minister Alexander Gashkov lost his position after a large-scale infection of patients with hepatitis B and C at the regional oncology clinic. The announcement of his dismissal was made by the region's governor, Vladimir Solodov, who noted that the decision came after a meeting addressing the critical situation related to the surge of hepatitis cases. The governor also emphasized that there are other significant issues within the region's healthcare system.

On January 18, it was revealed that no fewer than 49 patients at the cancer clinic contracted hepatitis viruses after undergoing CT scan procedures. Preliminary investigations point to breaches in personnel protocol that may have contributed to the virus spread.

The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case for negligence. Currently, investigations are underway to determine the causes and prevent similar incidents in the future.