The Doctor Vs The President
How a Female Doctor Took on Putin Over Coronavirus
As Putin prepares to make himself president for life, one doctor is challenging Russia’s all powerful leader. Harassed and under threat of arrest, Anastasia Vasilyeva continues to deliver PPE to frontline workers.
This week's referendum looks set to grant Vladimir Putin unlimited presidential terms. With an official Covid death rate of around 1%, Russia claims it has defeated the coronavirus threat and is ready to open. But doctor Anastasya Vasilyeva is challenging the official narrative and claims the death rates are much higher. "A very big quantity of medical workers died now. It’s about 200. It’s not official statistics, but medical workers themselves writing this list." Her organisation faces frequent arrests and harassment from the country’s powerful security forces. Despite smears from state media, her organisation continues to deliver PPE to workers she claims desperately need it. "We thank them very much for this help because there’s a shortage at the hospital", says one doctor. "There’s nothing anywhere, it’s impossible to buy masks in pharmacies."
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