A 95-year-old survivor of the siege was knocked off a stretcher at a hospital in St. Petersburg, according to relatives cited by Fontanka. The report describes the incident as occurring on November 26 when the elderly woman felt unwell and an ambulance was called. The paramedic who examined her suspected a heart attack and advised admission to the war veterans hospital.
While the patient was in the hospital, an ambulance worker allegedly knocked the elderly woman from the stretcher. The stretcher reportedly rolled along with the bottom of the sofa bending three times, leaving bystanders and family members confused about the sequence and purpose of the move. The woman reportedly fell from a height of about one meter, and a relative said the fall caused a hand injury and an impact to the head.
Medical staff diagnosed a closed head injury and a hematoma, and the patient was moved to intensive care. Family members and supporters of blockade veterans fear that the hematoma could worsen into brain edema. Clinic staff later assessed the patient as stable while under observation in the hospital.
In a separate note, the report mentions another incident in Novosibirsk where a baby reportedly fell during birth at a hospital. The sequence of events has raised concerns about patient safety protocols and caregiver conduct in medical facilities during times of stress.