In Kamchatka, seven patients were tested for hepatitis at their own expense

At least seven patients of the oncodispensary in Kamchatka Krai, who underwent CT and MRI scans with contrast and may be infected with hepatitis, have been tested for the virus on their own and at their own expense, Izvestia found out.

Getting infected: Kamchatka authorities clarify the number of people infected with hepatitis

During the year, 49 thousand patients passed through the oncodispensary, where the focus of the disease was detected.

So, the patient Nina said that three times in 2024 passed in the medical institution CT with contrast, the last - in September, but after contacting the hotline a few days ago, she has not yet been called for an appointment.

"After the information about the hepatitis outbreak in the oncodispensary appeared, I called the hotline. They recorded my details there and told me to expect a call. The next day I was told that I was not on the list of those who must be examined. They also advised me to contact the Ministry of Health for clarification. I underwent the examination on my own, at my own expense, but not everyone has such an opportunity," she said.

Elena, the daughter of another of the patients of the oncodispensary, also told the publication that no one called her mom, although she underwent MRI with contrast twice last year.

"Mom called the hotline, there they wrote down her data: when she did the study, what exactly she did. And they said she would get a call. There is still no call. The local Ministry of Health explained to my mom that she did some other contrast and that's why she is not on the list," Elena said

A similar situation was described by five other people, they have also already undergone examinations at their own expense.

At the same time, the governor of Kamchatka region Vladimir Solodov said on January 25 at a meeting on the issue of mass infection with hepatitis that the bulk of contact patients have already been examined in regional polyclinics. He specified that tests for viral hepatitis have been taken from 2.6 thousand people who are in the risk group.

But, according to the decision of the Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky city court, which back on December 27 suspended for a month the work of the CT office, through which the contact patients passed, people in the risk group can be significantly more.

"CT scans with contrast were performed on almost 4.3 thousand people in 2023 and more than 5 thousand people in 2024," the court ruling said.

The epidemiological investigation in the Kamchatka region on the fact of mass infection with hepatitis continues.

Read more in the exclusive material "Izvestia":

Taking for tests: Kamchatka residents are tested for hepatitis at their own expense