Sunday03 November 2024
inbusinesskz.com

Fraudsters in white coats: In Russia, fake clinics thrive, where patients are not treated but exploited for money.

Oncologist Luev: Fake clinics are recruiting staff by promising to refer patients to them.
В России активно работают фальшивые клиники, где пациентов не лечат, а лишь обманывают и выкачивают деньги.
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There are modern esculapians operating with medieval cynicism: money has no smell.

Photo: Shutterstock.

When a loved one passes away and there is no medicine in the world that can help, it is terrifying. In such moments, families are willing to give everything for a glimmer of hope. This is how a group of "particularly gifted" doctors profit by charging exorbitant fees to "treat" the incurable.

How do such "clinics" operate and how do people fall into their traps?

From the author:

I do not mention the names of specific medical centers (there are only a few of them). Any mention serves as "advertising" for them. They have been exposed before, yet they continue to operate. So why is it nearly impossible to hold these quack doctors accountable, and what is the principle behind the operation of such establishments? I hope this text helps you understand and make the right decision in the most challenging moments.

DR. CHEKHOV TREATS WITH CHAGA

What relatives of the dying feel and how they fall for the tricks of scammers, I know from experience. My mother had cancer. We treated her with wonderful doctors. But the time came when nothing helped anymore. It’s difficult to convey what one feels in such moments.

And then suddenly, she calls me...

- Dina, Lyuba (my mother's colleague) recommended Dr. Chekhov to me. He treats the English queen. He has super-modern mixtures called "endocrepies." They rejuvenate cells and destroy cancer. He has agreed to treat me. I need to urgently transfer him 150,000 rubles.

- Mom, what are "endocrepies"?

- He sent me certificates. I need to quickly send the money so they can start producing my dosage of the medications.

When I arrived, my parents looked at me with such hopeful eyes... But the certificates turned out to be awards for charity. And the doctor was not Chekhov at all, but a very ordinary Petrov (I checked). No medical directory or even the internet knows anything about "endocrepies." But no matter how much my sister and I tried to convince our parents that this was clearly a fraud and that real doctors were treating my mom, nothing worked. She cried and begged us to buy her these mixtures. The "doctor" kept calling her, assuring her of a miraculous recovery. He even claimed he was ready to speak with my mom's oncologist to coordinate a treatment plan. And my dad... he sent 150,000. At that moment, my mom believed so much in these "medications" that any doubts caused her to panic.

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How do people fall for the tricks of scammers?

Photo: Shutterstock.

This pseudodoctor, upon learning that I was a journalist and fearing exposure, returned the money, but not before he vented his anger on my parents. They secretly called "Chekhov," begging him to send the medications. That's how my mom died, believing that only "endocrepies" could help her. And my dad later sighed that they should have tried, even if it was just calendula tincture...

- It couldn't have been worse, - he reasoned.

And this one "doctor" simply and quickly clouded my parents' judgment. Just imagine a clinic filled with doctors in white coats promising to help. How can one not believe?

"YOU OWE 1.5 MILLION"

These clinics spare no expense on marketing. An advertising banner for one of them is prominently displayed right outside the state hospital where our mom was treated.

- My daughter has cancer, - says Muscovite Tatiana (the details of the heroine and all documents are available to the editorial office). - Due to the tumor, she experienced partial bowel obstruction. The state hospital could not install a stent. They said it was impossible. I came across the website of Clinic "X." I called and then came with all the documents. The chief physician studied them for a long time, as if consulting with other specialists. In the end, he assured me that the problem could be resolved. "Who knows what couldn't be done at another hospital; we can do it, it has happened before." The cost was quoted as 300,000 - 400,000 rubles, with a timeframe of 10 days.

Tatiana's daughter was hospitalized - and the surprises began.

- On the very first day, I was presented with a bill for 140,000. This included tests that we already had fresh results for. But I was assured that this was just the first day; it's the most expensive. To prepare for the surgery, they administered various medications via IV, and I was presented with astronomical bills daily without any breakdown of costs. I was only given a list of the medications administered after persistent requests. I can't say that these were exclusive or expensive medications if purchased at a pharmacy. Her daughter stayed with them for 15 days. The result of the "treatment" was a useless operation: they cut her open and sewed her back up, the stent was not installed, but they mutilated her abdomen and caused a new problem with her veins. And it cost 1.5 million rubles.

But even after the failed operation, they did not calm down and began offering me sessions of HIPEC therapy (which involves treating tumor cells with heated chemotherapy drugs). However, I went to consult with other doctors. In three clinics, I was told that such a procedure was not possible in our case. But in "X," they continued to insist: "Well, let's at least do something!" The most terrible part is that they keep promising something without any shame. This is a business built on deception and fraud. They take advantage of the fact that people are accustomed to trusting doctors. And, most frighteningly, there is no time left to correct anything.

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Simple advice

Photo: Dmitry POLUKHIN. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

ZEROED OUT THE BILL - AND GOODBYE

And there are many like Tatiana. There is plenty of negative information about these clinics on popular patient review sites if you look hard enough. Because they are typically drowned out by kilobytes of praise, making it difficult to notice at first.

Patient's story:

"My husband is in the terminal stage of cancer. The night of April 23-24, 2023, was particularly horrific. Hellish pain tormented him; neither pills nor injections helped. In despair, I decided to write to the widely advertised (including by my good acquaintances) Clinic "X" for an online consultation regarding pain relief. They immediately called me back and informed me that they could hospitalize the patient for a couple of days to find a suitable treatment plan, and maybe even perform a multi-day blockade. Naturally, I asked about the price. They quoted me 35,000 rubles per day. This was manageable for us, and we agreed. But then everything developed so quickly that I couldn’t process anything. All this time, my husband was obviously in distress: he could barely hold back from screaming. I don’t know how he endured the journey from Balashikha to Moscow in the ambulance (the guys quickly collected 12,000 rubles from me upon arrival) and the lengthy admission process to the ward, seemingly with his last strength.

While filling out the paperwork, I begged the nurses to give him at least an analgesic injection, but I was told that according to protocol, it wasn’t allowed until the services were paid (I had my own medication with me, but they wouldn’t administer that either). Soon a doctor appeared and, without examining the patient, informed us that they would now bring us the bill for his treatment. Following her was a girl from reception with a long list of "prescriptions." At the end was an amount ten times greater than what we had agreed upon. We simply didn’t have that much money with us. My husband quickly started removing the most expensive procedures from the bill. When it was reduced to the amount he had on his card, both medical workers began emotionally explaining that the remaining amount was absolutely necessary and that we couldn't refuse it. Now I understand very well that due to the sleepless night and nervous tension, I failed to do what I absolutely should have: call a taxi and immediately take my husband home. Or maybe we both hoped that they could work a miracle here? We wouldn’t spare any money for that. For the clinic, this "psychological attack" ended successfully - they zeroed out the bill on my husband's card. Two days