Locals disgusted as Russian regional governor flees to Moscow to seek Covid-19 treatment amid crisis at home

The governor of Russia’s Vladimir Region has come under fire after opting to be treated privately in Moscow, rather than in a state hospital he presides over. Locals are furious their elected leader has escaped to the capital.

The gap between Moscow and the regions when it comes to resources and quality of healthcare has been amplified by the coronavirus, with beds outside the capital filling up at a rapid rate. The fear that regional healthcare is not good enough has been further amplified by Governor Vladimir Sipyagin’s choice to be treated in a private clinic.

Sipyagin is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia, a far-right systemic opposition party. The Russian authorities have openly acknowledged the issues in much of the country, with Health Minister Mikhail Murashko noting on Monday that 53 regions have filled around 90 percent of their designated Covid-19 spaces. 
The city of Vladimir is a short 200km drive from the capital. Writing on Facebook, the governor explained his decision as a selfless act, noting that he did not want “to occupy a bed".

“There aren’t many available places, and there are patients in a much more serious condition than I am,” Sipyagin wrote. 
In response, commenters mocked the governor’s decision, not believing he made the decision to be treated privately in Moscow for the good of the people.

“There are still heroes in the country who are ready to sacrifice their own wellbeing for the sake of a free bed in the state clinic! Bravo!” a comment by user Valentin Dombrovsky read. “First, you break up and destroy medicine in your region, and then head to Moscow to be treated! It is disgusting to read this lie!” said another comment.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov refused to make any link between the quality of care in the regions and Sipyagin’s decision to attend a private clinic in the capital.  

“I do not see a connection between his treatment in Moscow and the provision of treatment for coronavirus for citizens in his area,” Peskov said. “These are separate issues. It is hardly possible to link them.”  

According to official government figures, Vladimir Region has recorded 11,672 cases of Covid-19 – a small percentage of the country’s overall 1,991,998 confirmed infections. However, last week, the regional Department of Health director, Elena Utemova, revealed that only 113 Covid-19 designated beds of a total 1,264 remain unoccupied, noting that the current capacity is not sufficient for the region’s population.

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