Camilla Jessen
Simonyan’s hospital clash exposes strain inside Russia’s health system.
A senior Kremlin media figure has described an unexpected clash inside a Russian hospital. Her account, reported by Russian media, emerged during her ongoing cancer treatment.
The visit, she said, took place while she was accompanied by her 12-year-old daughter. What followed, according to her, was an abrupt and unsettling exchange.
Confronted at reception
Russian outlets reported that Margarita Simonyan said staff at the reception desk began shouting at them almost immediately. She recounted that the raised voices continued even after employees realised who she was.
One member of staff, she said, responded to her protests with the line: “Tell the minister that we are not paid to speak civilly.”
Simonyan added that her daughter was startled and at first believed the situation was some kind of joke.
Shifting emotions
Simonyan told Russian media that her initial reaction was anger.
But she then said she felt ashamed, acknowledging that authorities had failed for years to provide decent conditions for medical employees.
She went on to discuss what she described as the difficult working environment in the country’s hospitals, noting the stress and low pay that many staff members face daily.
Despite her criticism, Simonyan also underlined the distance between her own circumstances and those of ordinary Russians. According to her comments carried by Russian outlets, she lives comfortably, while the woman at the reception desk earns “about 18 thousand rubles” and must cope with a lifetime of financial hardship.
Sources: Russian media reports, Digi24
