Police in the southwestern Russian city of Belgorod opened a criminal investigation after the death of a homeless man who was reportedly abandoned outdoors by hospital staff, local media reported Wednesday.
The elderly homeless man, whose identity was not disclosed, died at a bus stop in late October after seeking treatment at a city hospital. He was discharged the same day for outpatient care.
Eyewitnesses told local media that hospital staff had escorted the man out in a wheelchair and left him at the nearby bus stop in freezing weather. The hospital later attributed his death to possible alcohol poisoning.
An initial probe revealed that the hospital lacked protocols for treating patients experiencing homelessness, those under the influence of alcohol and those deemed not to require hospitalization, according to local media.
The probe also uncovered issues with the hospital’s record-keeping and diagnostic procedures.
The local prosecutor’s office told local media that a criminal case had been opened on charges of endangerment.
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