Babies Possibly Abused in Russian Hospital

In Moscow on Thursday February 1^st 2007, prosecuters announced an investigation into a Russian hospital after employers there were accused of abusing small babies while in their care. This comes after several claims of infants having their mouths taped shut to silence any crying.

The incidences were have said to occurred at hospital number 15 which is in the Ural Mountains in a city named Yekaterinburg which is several hundred miles east of Moscow, Russia. Workers at this hospital are accused of muffling the babies cries with tape or bandages on more than one occasion. The investigation is hoping to reveal what exactly happened and whether or not the hospital employees will be charged with child abuse. The staff was in charge of caring for these tiny, helpless patients and what they have been accused of is highly unnaceptable. Earlier this week a russian TV station aired footage taken from a cell phone that showed an infant in the hospital with a pacifier taped to it's mouth. City Heath officials for Yekaterinburg have called out the hospital chief in staff and are looking into this issue as well.

Since the collapse of the Soviet Union government institutions such as hospitals, orphanages and others that are funded by welfare have seen a major decline in money and resources. Staff employed are often paid less than adequate amounts and turnover rates are high. Government oversee is also limited as time and money is not allocated in protecting those who utilize these services. The government has made profit in the last few years as sales of oil has gone up yet their most needy population has not seen any benefit as a result.

In another Russian city teachers are accused of injecting a Kindergarten childre with something to make them get to sleep. This without the approval of parents or health care providers. The teacher has reportedly said that she was not prepared to be in charge of all these young children and didn't know how to handle them. Teacher qualifications vary so she may well not have beed adequately trained to work with this age group. Reports say she has since been let go of her position as she admited to the accusation. This is just one more example of the situations that have occurred putting the more vulnerable people such as children at risk of danger. A more serious event happened when a baby in south Russia got an infection after a injection and had to have her arm amputated.