Governor blames intoxicated mothers for infant deaths in Novokuznetsk
Kuzbass Governor Ilya Seredyuk commented on the situation regarding the deaths of children at Maternity Hospital No. 1 in Novokuznetsk during a live broadcast on Thursday, 22 January. The authorities do not favor the theory of a hospital-acquired infection. This was reported by colleagues from NGS42.RU.
The head of the region urged citizens not to make hasty conclusions and to wait for the results of the examinations. He emphasized that during the New Year holidays, more than 140 births took place at the institution, and the absolute majority of children were discharged from the hospital with high Apgar scores.
He also does not believe that the cause of the incident lies in medical error, since the children who died in intensive care had different attending doctors.
He stressed that the deceased infants were born with varying degrees of prematurity, and the weight of some did not exceed 600 grams (about 1.3 lbs).
‘The mothers were not monitored during pregnancy, there was no medical history, no tests. It is sad to say, but some arrived for childbirth by ambulance in a state of alcohol intoxication. We need to identify and register those pregnant women who are not under observation,’ said Seredyuk.
After inspecting the maternity hospitals in Novokuznetsk, the governor gathered mostly positive feedback from young mothers and pregnant women about the work of both organizations.
He promised to expand the existing maternity hospital and add specialists so that doctors would not be overburdened, coping with the increased flow of patients. There were 80 beds in operation, and 25 more will be added soon.
Updated 22 January 2026, 23:34. Kemerovo Oblast Governor Ilya Seredyuk commented on the reason for deleting his broadcast, during which he spoke about the infamous maternity hospital. Among other things, on Thursday, 22 January, he apologized for his words.
Seredyuk explained that during the broadcast he touched on the topic of the maternity hospital, which caused ‘a lot of emotions’. He noted that in such situations, the right words are important.
‘I sincerely regret that my words caused pain to someone. Now the main thing is supporting the families and a maximally objective, professional investigation into all the circumstances of what happened. Thank you to everyone who cares,’ wrote Seredyuk.
The head of the region emphasized that he himself decided to delete the controversial video, as it contains formulations that were perceived incorrectly.
During the live broadcast, Seredyuk said that he supports the doctors but urged refraining from searching for those to blame for the situation at the Novokuznetsk maternity hospital. He also confirmed information that had previously been circulating on social media and in the media, that the children were from disadvantaged families, and the women led an unhealthy lifestyle, which could have harmed the fetus.
Read the other side of this tragedy as well. Earlier, a mother whose child died in the Novokuznetsk maternity hospital told about the attitude of doctors towards patients and children.
