In Lermontov, hospitalized hunger-striker continues to protest at hospital

Mikhail Markus, a 75-year-old participant of the hunger strike held in the town of Lermontov, who was emergently hospitalized last night, was transferred from a resuscitation ward into a therapeutic unit. The pensioner continues his hunger strike. According to recent reports, the protest action involves 17 persons.

"I feel well and fine. I did not stop my hunger strike, and I am with you, my friends. Take me back," said the pensioner to Alexander Kovalyov, who visited him during the day and who joined today the protest action.

Doctors still do not recommend Mikhail Markus to leave the hospital. At present, doctors support the pensioner's health with medicines and try to stabilize his blood sugar level. Hunger strikers also persuade Mikhail Markus not to leave the hospital at present.

The hunger-strikers claim that they have almost become victims of medical fraud. Ambulance medics, who arrived in the evening to a place of the hunger strike, told the protesters that they were sent by a phone call from "the Ministry" and that they need to urgently examine all protestors. When asked by the hunger-strikers about their institution, the doctors at once said that they were from the disaster medicine and then they said that they were from the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE).

Having examined the hunger-strikers, they found that the majority of protesters got very high blood pressure levels and began to insist on their hospitalization. They said that exactly at that day they had the opportunity to take patients to any medical institution of the region named Kavkazskie Mineralnye Vody (Caucasian Mineral Waters).

"Such persistence aroused my suspicion, and I felt clearly not for "250". So, I went and measured my blood pressure on my own blood pressure monitor," said Valery Beloousov and added that, as it turned out, there was no raise in his blood pressure.

Then, the hunger-strikers asked the ambulance medics to present their documents and route sheet and also to mention the exact name of the medical institutions; however, "the doctors" refused to do that and were ready to leave immediately. The hunger-strikers called the police, and at present, police officers try to find out all the circumstances of the incident, the message of the city public and information website reports.

Today, in addition to Alexander Kovalyov, the 29-year-old local resident, Tatiana Beloousova joined the protest action, and at present the number of persons on hunger strike reaches 17, the "Komsomolskaya Pravda" reports.