Story By: Anastasia Smirnova, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Central European News
The head of a Russian hospital has been sacked after a woman quarantined there after a holiday to China managed to escape and hit the headlines after showing off her hand-drawn map online.
Alla Ilyina, 32, staged a great escape complete with a hand-drawn map so she could flee from the hospital where she was quarantined for possible COVID-19 (coronavirus) infection.
Local media said three other quarantined patients might have followed Ilyina’s suit.
Aleksey Yakovlev, head of the Botkin Clinical Infectious Disease Hospital in the north-western Russian city of Saint Petersburg, has reportedly been dismissed from his position.
Ilyina came back from the Chinese resort island of Hainan on 30th January and initially did not show any signs of COVID-19.
She was warned by customs officials at the Pulkovo International Airport in her home city of Saint Petersburg that she should immediately call an ambulance if she felt any symptoms of the illness.
So when she suffered from throat pain just four days later, she called an ambulance.
However, she was surprised to find a massive team of experts from the Russian health watchdog suddenly turning up at her door to accompany her to quarantine.
Initially, Ilyina was supposed to spend just one day in the quarantine ward, but she soon found out that she’d have to stay there for two weeks.
Upon hearing the news of her lengthy detention, Ilyina reportedly decided to flee and hatched a plan including the crudely-drawn escape map seen in these photos.
Another three patients, identified as Igor, 23, Olga, 18, and Anna, 32, reportedly packed their things and left the hospital and weren’t stopped by anyone, according to local media.
Yakovlev, who has been working at the hospital for the last 40 years and has held the top position there since 1994, has reportedly been fired as a result.
Meanwhile, Ilyina was returned to the hospital on 17th February following a court decision and will have to remain there for another two days.
CEN
Netizen ‘Viktor’ said: “Because of those stupid b*stards, a top doctor has lost his job. They have no shame.”
‘Gost’ commented: “I feel bad for him. 40 years of work gone down the drain because of a few stupid people.”
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