Intestinal disinfection: why six residents of the social center in Altai died
The head of a center for the elderly in Altai Krai faces up to 10 years in prison for the death of six guests from an intestinal infection, experts believe. As Izvestia found out, he was previously convicted under several articles, including theft and causing serious harm to health. Twenty-five people remain in hospitals, of whom the condition of four patients is serious. They have been diagnosed with acute infectious gastroenterocolitis - inflammation of the stomach and intestines, which occurs when harmful bacteria and viruses enter the body, doctors explained.
The number of victims is rising
The number of dead residents of the social center "Rubicon" in Altai Krai has grown to six, reported "Izvestia" in the regional Ministry of Health. In the afternoon of November 28 in a private social organization in the village of Kalistratikha Kalmansky district with signs of poisoning was found the body of a guest, several people with signs of poisoning were taken to medical institutions, where the same day two of them died, reported in the Investigative Committee for the region.
"There are 25 people in hospitals," the local health ministry said. - The condition of four patients is serious, three are light, and 17 people are in a state of moderate severity."
The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case on the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements.
Anna Smirnova, head of the infectious diseases department No. 2 of Barnaul City Hospital No. 5, told Izvestia that all patients were diagnosed with acute infectious gastroenterocolitis. The organization conducted treatment and disinfection of the premises. The guests - they are from 52 to 85 years old - continue to be monitored by doctors.
The chairman of the board of Altai regional public organization of adaptation of ex-convicts "Rubicon" is Alik Gelfenbein. He was arrested for two months, reported "Izvestia" in the IC.
The Rubicon Center, according to its website, mainly works with former prisoners - provides them with temporary housing, psychologist assistance, legal advice and helps in restoring documents. In addition, the organization operates a "Help House" where pensioners, people with disabilities and people in difficult life situations receive support.
"We provide social services in semi-permanent and stationary form of social services," the organization's website says. - A house is rented for this category of people, where they receive urgent humanitarian aid, they are provided with a bed, three meals a day, legal and medical assistance."
There were a total of 29 residents and two staff members in the "Help House".
Who ran the shelter
The infection that killed five people could have been brought by one of the residents of the center, Natalia, the wife of the head of the social center and its employee, told Izvestia.
- We had a man. He came in, stayed with us for a short time and fell ill," she said. - We assume it was him, because everything started with him. He died, and two days later everything started.
According to the woman, after the incident, all the other guests began to complain of feeling unwell. She and her husband repeatedly called for an ambulance, but it was stopped from being sent due to the lack of an infectious disease specialist in the village and the risk of infecting other people at the polyclinic.
Her husband, as Natalia noted, was not involved in the incident, as he was on a business trip at the time. She suggested that the poisoning might not have been caused by the food.
Thechairman of the organization, Alik Gelfenbein, is known in Altai Krai as a man with a criminal background, a source in law enforcement told Izvestia. According to him, there was no special control there - it was possible to bring in both alcohol and prohibited substances.
As "Izvestia" found out, earlier Alik Gelfenbein was convicted under several articles of the Criminal Code. In particular, for theft, causing serious harm to health and illegal acquisition, transfer, sale, storage or carrying of weapons.
He is also listed as the head of another similar firm - the Union for the adaptation of former convicts "Decision", it was registered in June 2024. Gelfenbein is listed as the founder and head of the company "Ikhtus", the main activity of which, according to Rusprofile database, is construction of residential and non-residential buildings. The firm's revenue amounted to 1.2 million rubles in 2023.
What will the head of the social center face
Providing services that do not meet safety requirements is a crime of high public danger, said Ekaterina Kharchenko, senior lawyer at Criminal Defense Firm.
- Law enforcement agencies are interested in investigating every case of harm to human health resulting from substandard services," the expert emphasized. - The perpetrators face up to 10 years of imprisonment.
Alik Gelfenbein, director of the social center "Help House" (Rubicon organization), in the Oktyabrsky District Court
Unsafe sale of food products along with medical services is one of the most common situations in which crimes under this corpus delicti are committed, she said.
- This is expected, given that the catering industry involves compliance with many regulatory requirements and is associated with the risk of spreading infectious diseases, - added Ekaterina Kharchenko. - Similar challenges are fully characteristic for the organization of catering in the sphere of social protection of citizens. However, the lack of qualified personnel and adequate funding can lead to the fact that the risks of harm to health increase significantly.
Such tragedies occur as a result of non-compliance with sanitary and epidemiologic norms and sanitary and hygienic regime, believes Evgenia Privalova, lawyer of Lobutev & Partners MCA. That is, when the premises, including the kitchen, are not properly maintained, there is no regular cleaning and disinfection.
- Acute infectious gastroenterocolitis develops after contact with a sick person or contaminated food," she said. - The investigation will determine whether there were dangerous and pathogenic microorganisms in the food or whether, as the detainee's wife says, the infection could have been brought in by one of the guests.
Investigators need to conduct sanitary-epidemiological and chemical-toxicological forensic examination to establish the microbiological composition of the food products and the presence of pathogenic microorganisms and infectious agents in them.
What are the symptoms of infection
Infectious gastroenterocolitis, which was diagnosed in the victims, is an inflammation of the stomach and intestines, which occurs when harmful bacteria and viruses enter the body, said Ekaterina Kashukh, a medical expert at the Hemotest laboratory. In particular, salmonella, shigella, streptococcus, staphylococcus.
- They can be picked up when communicating with a sick person or animal or with a carrier of bacteria or virus, through dirty hands, food that has not been heat treated, - explained the doctor. - For example, with water from a dubious source. Or with steamed milk - staphylococcus bacteria can multiply in it, releasing toxins that do not change the look and taste of milk, but are dangerous to the human body.
According to her, the danger can be found in any other dairy products, including creams for cakes based on them, in canned meat and fish, salads.
- Bacteria can appear in products if they have been stored in inappropriate conditions or if the cook or anyone else involved in the preparation process is a carrier of the bacteria and does not observe sanitary norms," she added.
The disease occurs quickly and begins with symptoms of digestive disorders: a person has abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhea, stools sometimes with mucus and even blood. There is also an increase in temperature, chills, loss of appetite.
- If the course is not severe but prolonged, a deficiency of fluids, vitamins and minerals may develop," said Ekaterina Kashukh. - This happens because, against the background of inflammation, the mucous membrane of the stomach begins to digest food worse, and the intestinal mucosa - slower absorption of nutrients and water. Diarrhea and vomiting also have an impact, which can cause dehydration.
Toxins - products of pathogenic bacteria - negatively affect the kidneys, heart and brain, the expert added.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
