A scandal is brewing in the medical equipment market, reports newspaper “Version”.
Russian manufacturers of medical equipment and devices cannot break into the government procurement system or break through bureaucratic barriers. While imported equipment from Poland, the USA (TrueCool, ArcticSun, Blancetrol) and a number of other countries have been given the green light. Suppliers of Western equipment easily win tenders by supplying equipment to the Russian healthcare system.
We are talking about the supply of medical devices that are capable of regulating (increasing and decreasing) the patient’s body temperature with high precision. Most often, such devices are needed after cardiopulmonary resuscitation, during injuries with damage to the central nervous system, major fractures, strokes and heart attacks, when the body temperature goes through the roof, the thermometer freezes at 40, and medications do not help.
The most interesting thing is that domestic manufacturers have also started producing similar devices. Domestic brands are not inferior to Western brands either in the effectiveness of therapy or in ease of service, and even cause fewer complications, according to experts and business participants interviewed by the publication. 
In addition, domestic analogues are cheaper. The Russian device ATG-01 starts from 3.8 million rubles. And Polish TrueCool – from 5 million rubles, Blancetrol (USA) – from 4.5 million rubles, Arctic Sun (USA) – from 7 million.
Based on the results of testing Russian brands, chief doctors, heads of departments, and medical staff reported that they were ready to submit domestic devices for a tender in the public procurement system. But the customer of the equipment is not the chief physicians at all, but the curators of the purchase of medical equipment and consumables for medical institutions. They are the ones who dictate to the head doctors what equipment and consumables to purchase. They dictate from their offices. Apparently, not unselfishly. Almost every department of health has a pocket company that supplies imported medical equipment and medicines.
Crime begins at the border. This can be seen from customs documents. This scheme is common. For example, a Polish device in the customs declaration has a price (in terms of rubles) of 6 million. And it is sold at auction to the customer, for example, for 5.7 million rubles. What’s the benefit? Non-payment of taxes. If an imported device is sold on the Russian market cheaper than purchased, you don’t have to pay tax, everything is according to the law. For example, the NeuroProject company works according to this scheme. The article “Versions” features Dmitry Cheburashkin, director of this LLC.
NeuroProject is a supplier of equipment from Poland (TrueCool) and the USA (Camino). The Cheburashkin was reported by the Cheka-OGPU back in September 2022. Then he wanted to escape from Russia with an Armenian passport purchased through an acquaintance. It didn’t work out.
“ВЧК ОГПУ”
