Coronavirus: Russian oligarchs buy ventilators and poach doctors

So far, there are 438 officially confirmed Corona cases in Russia. The government in Moscow boasts of successful crisis management. In contrast to many other countries, the Chinese border was closed at an early stage, the statement said. But the country's rich do not seem to believe that the pandemic will continue to bypass Russia for the most part – and are taking precautions. As investigative research by the newspaper "The Moscow Times" shows, the oligarchs build private clinics on their property so that they can be treated in the event of an infection.

The newspaper spoke to more than a dozen representatives of Russian companies that sell ventilators. Most of them said they had generated 30 percent of their total sales from private sales in the past two weeks. In the meantime, the stocks of all companies have sold out. "There have been so many calls that we can no longer take orders," said Oxy2 sales manager.

"We have already sold everything from our warehouse," said Artyom Siwachew, sales manager of the Moscow-based company MediKo. "We now hope that our international partners can deliver more." He also received countless inquiries from private individuals, but stressed that selling to them was against the company's policies.

State hospital? No thanks

But there are apparently enough companies that sell ventilators to private individuals. And enough buyers who can afford it. "Many of my friends are trying to get ventilators," said a wealthy Moscow Times interlocutor. "As soon as they become available, they will be bought."

However, one of the richest families in Russia who wants to anonymously love has already got hold of a ventilator. "So far we have been able to get one and try to buy two more," said a family member. The device costs 1.8 million rubles, according to the current exchange rate around 21,000 euros. "But there is an eight-month waiting list," complained the representative of the Russian money elite. If necessary, his family wants to sit out the Corona crisis on a property in Rublyowka, the luxury suburb of Moscow, in which a large part of the richest people in Russia live.

Others go further and not only buy ventilators, but also hire doctors who exclusively take care of them in an emergency. A Moscow Times interlocutor, who also wishes to remain anonymous, confirmed that he has already made such an agreement. "One of my friends has returned from France and is now in a hospital," said the person. A stay in a state hospital would be a nightmare for him. "I don't want this to happen to me. We have to stock up on food and stay in our homes outside of the city," the source said.

In the newspaper "Komsomolskaya Pravda" numerous doctors report that they have received corresponding requests in the past few weeks. Like Alexei Kashcheev, a neurosurgeon from Moscow. He received a request for the establishment of a real medical center. "Some of my colleagues received similar letters. That means that while the poor hamster buckwheat, the rich are working on options for their own rescue," said Kashcheev (editor's note: buckwheat is a staple in Russia)

Poor facilities in the provinces

If the rich of Russia isolate themselves further in their splendor, their behavior could pose enormous problems for the Russian health system. In an international comparison, Russian hospitals are relatively well equipped with ventilators. According to the Headway Group, which monitors government tenders, a total of approximately 42,000 to 43,000 ventilators are available – that's 29 ventilators per 100,000 population. For comparison: in Italy there are only eight ventilators per 100,000 inhabitants.

But the problem in Russia is that about 25 percent of the devices are located in the wealthy urban regions around Moscow and St. Petersburg. In the provinces, however, it looks bleak. According to an estimate by the independent news magazine "Meduza", there are only five ventilators per 100,000 inhabitants in the Kaluga region.

The deputy head doctor of a hospital in Lermontov, a town in the southern region of Stavropol, told the Moscow Times that there were only three or four usable ventilators in her clinic. And these are also intended for patients with a heart attack, stroke or poisoning. "If there is a corona outbreak, there may not be one for everyone," says the doctor. She lacks the money to buy new devices.

The government in Moscow now promises to expand the budget for the purchase of medical devices. But even if the money is there: ventilators have recently become difficult to come by.

Swell: "The Moscow Times", "Komsomolskaya Pravda", "Meduza"

This article was originally published on stern.de.