The Head Of The Kemerovo Region Of The Russian Federation Said That Mothers Themselves Were To Blame For The Mass Deaths Of Babies In The Maternity Hospital

Allegedly many of them were drunk.

The governor of Russia's Kemerovo region, Ilya Seredyuk, has placed the responsibility for the deaths of newborns at Novokuznetsk Maternity Hospital No. 1 on the mothers themselves. As Nova Gazeta Europe pointed out, during the direct line he said that some mothers were not observed by doctors during pregnancy, while others entered the maternity hospital in a state of alcoholic intoxication.

"Sad to say, but expectant mothers do not just not watch their health - some have bad habits. It is unacceptable that the ambulance arrives at the maternity hospital in a state of intoxication," Seredyuk said. He also doubted the versions about hospital-acquired infection and medical error, pointing out that the women in labor had different attending doctors.

From December 1, 2025 to January 12, 2026, 234 babies were born in the maternity hospital, 32 of them ended up in intensive care. Nine babies have died and another eight are in extremely serious condition. According to the Ministry of Health of Kuzbass, all the dead were diagnosed with severe intrauterine infection.

The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on the fact of negligence and causing death by negligence. According to the investigation, the death of children was the result of improper fulfillment of duties by the chief doctor and head of the department, as well as violations of sanitary laws in the medical institution. The work of the hospital has been suspended for 90 days.

On January 14, the chief doctor of the hospital, Vitaly Kheraskov, and the acting head of the intensive care unit, Alexei Emikh, were detained. Kheraskov was given a measure of restraint in the form of house arrest, while Emikh was banned from certain actions. They are charged with part 3 of article 293 of the Criminal Code (negligence) and part 3 of article 109 of the Criminal Code (causing death by negligence).

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