“We are sorry to inform you that … the Deputy Chief Physician for Anesthesia and Resuscitation of the Emergency Hospital №1, Assistant to the Department of Omsk State Medical University, PhD in Medical Sciences Maksimishin Sergey Valentinovich has passed away suddenly,” the hospital died . said in a statement, which does not mention a cause of death.
Maximishin did not give any press briefings during the hospitalization of Navalny. As deputy chief physician for anesthesia and resuscitation in the hospital, he was one of the most senior physicians in the hospital.
Navalny chief of staff Leonid Volkov confirmed Maximishin was in charge of handling the opposition leader.
“Sergey Maximishin was the department head who treated Alexey Navalny and was in charge of his treatment – specifically his medically induced coma,” Volkov told CNN.
“He knew more than anyone else about Alexey’s condition, so I can not rule out the possibility of foul play,” he added.
“However, the health care system in Russia is very weak and it is not uncommon for doctors of his age to die suddenly. I doubt there will be any investigation into his death,” Volkov continued.
CNN is seeking additional comments from local health authorities on the cause of Maximishin’s death. CNN has no evidence that any foul play was involved.
The Omsk region Minister of Health said in a statement that Maximishin had worked in the hospital for 28 years and saved thousands of lives.
“He has brought people back to full reality. We will miss Dr. Maximishin very much. He left too early and therefore the pain of loss is especially bitter,” Alexander Murakhovsky said in a statement.