Patients at a hospital in Tyrnyauz stood up for the staff after complaints to the Investigative Committee

The medical staff at the Tyrnyauz hospital provide professional and high-quality care, and all necessary medications are provided free of charge, patients stated, commenting on a report by the Investigative Committee regarding complaints of poor medical care at the hospital.

"Caucasian Knot" wrote that the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin, instructed to open a criminal case following complaints from Tyrnyauz residents about the state of the local hospital, a shortage of specialists, and necessary medications.

Residents of Tyrnyauz interviewed by "Caucasian Knot" refuted the reports of substandard medical care published by the Investigative Committee of Russia. In particular, activist Larisa Baragunova, who regularly receives treatment at the hospital, was satisfied with the professionalism of the medical staff and the quality of services.

Baragunova, who served a prison sentence on what she believes was a false charge of assaulting two police officers, noted that her health was seriously undermined in the pretrial detention center. "Since my release from pretrial detention, I've been to this hospital twice already, and I want to express my deepest gratitude to the medical staff. They literally pulled me back from the brink of death. I was about to fall into a coma," Larisa Baragunova told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent. According to the activist, the hospital is clean, including the common areas, restrooms, and showers. Patients are given all the necessary medications, and IVs are administered. "Just yesterday (January 14th), I was given a new glucometer and test strips, which, mind you, cost 1,500 rubles," she added. The only drawback Baragunova noted was the furniture in one of the departments, where the rooms are furnished with old nightstands. She called the hospital's staff the hospital's main asset.

Tyrnyauz resident Tanzilya Uzdenova has also been treated at the local hospital several times, and her children have also been treated there. "I don't remember buying any medications, even the expensive ones, at the pharmacy; we got everything in the hospital. The medical staff is attentive and kind. Yes, the hospital needs renovations, and we hope they will be carried out soon. But in terms of the attitude and attention of the medical staff, we have no complaints," she told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

A Kazan resident who visited Kabardino-Balkaria shared online that she spent two days in the Tyrnyauz hospital. "I was in this hospital from June 2nd to 4th in the neurology department. I don't know the name of the neurologist, but I thank her and all the staff. "I flew from Kazan to Elbrus for a tour, but I caught a cold and altitude sickness the very first night. I had a fever and high blood pressure, and I couldn't eat. They gave me IVs, eased my condition, and I flew home to finish my treatment there," she wrote.

Ibrahim Sultygov, a lawyer for the public organization "Patient Monitor," told the "Caucasian Knot" that no one had contacted him about problems with medication supplies in the Elbrus District.

Chief Physician Khabibullah Tilov also commented on the video showing the state of the Elbrus District Hospital. He claims the video shows the surgical department, which has been closed since 2011. Since the city clinic is currently closed for renovations, three offices in the defunct building are being temporarily used for patient consultations, Tilov explained.

The head physician cited statistics on the number of surgeries performed in 2025 – 1,118, and the number of patients treated – approximately 3,000. Since the hospital is located in a tourist area, many of the patients are tourists injured in the mountains and traffic accidents.

Tilov denied that the hospital was built in 1956, stating that the medical facility has been operating since 1980. The hospital, he claims, has modern diagnostic equipment and all necessary medications.

“It’s worth noting that the building, built in 1980, was damaged by seismic and non-seismic ground movements and requires repairs,” reads a post on the official Telegram channel of the Kabardino-Balkaria Ministry of Health.

However, complaints about the hospital’s food can be found on social media. “An appeal to the administration of the Tyrnyauz hospital. Please look into the provision of meals to patients on weekends. Semolina porridge for breakfast, soup only for lunch, no main course, and barley porridge for dinner. Where are the meat dishes, fish, and salads? Not all patients can have relatives visit, so this must be taken into account! Many patients are elderly and must be provided with three nutritious meals a day,” wrote one commenter.