Investigative journalism: a story about missing medicine in Russia
This week, as hundreds of investigative journalists from across the globe meet at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Rio, the IMS website focuses on investigative journalism and the stories that are changing lives and raising the voices of those trapped in systems of injustice around the world
One of these remarkable journalists is Anastasia Drozdova from Russia. Her story “What happened to free medicine in Kaliningrad” about empty shelves in drugstores unable to provide the often lifesaving, state-subsidised medicine to citizens in her home town of Kaliningrad, contributed to the resignation of the regional health minister.
The fact that people were suffering as a consequence of not being able to access much-needed state-subsidised medicines to fight serious diseases like cancer or other serious conditions in her home town of Kaliningrad, led Anastasia Drozdova to take on local government and a private company, determined to uncover the truth. This, in an environment where investigative journalism is a perilous trade and access to information a long and harrowing process.
Cancer-treatment medication ran out
“My newspaper, a weekly called ‘New Caravan’ had been receiving several letters from members of the public asking us to bring attention to a huge problem regarding a consistent lack of live-saving medical supplies in drugstores – state-subsidised medication that elderly, disabled and sick are entitled to by law free of charge,” says Anastasia Drozdova in an interview with IMS at the Global Investigative Journalism Conference (GIJC) in Rio. She continues:
“One letter in particular caught my eye. It was from a woman with cancer. Her cancer-fighting treatment required her to take medication once a day. But the drugstore ran out and for months she was unable to access medicine to fight her cancer. This of course has serious consequences for her and the hundreds of others like her in the same situation.”
A flawed healthcare system
What Anastasia Drozdova found during the four months she was investigating the story in 2012 was that the problem lay not with one entity, but in a chain of events that prevented the system from working.
As part of the overall healthcare system for the region, money was allocated within the regional Kaliningrad budget to cover the purchase of specific types of medicines for its citizens to which they were entitled free of charge.
As a point of departure in almost every journalistic investigation that involves the transfer of funds, Anastasia Drozdova decided to look at the money trail. The company that had won a government tender to purchase and deliver the medicines to drugstores in the Kaliningrad area, was unable to purchase the amount of medication needed because the Kaliningrad local government was not transferring the funds as agreed.
This meant that after an initial first order of drugs had been put through on the company’s own budget, , this money was not reimbursed leaving the company was unable to cover the cost of necessary follow-up orders, and thus rendering the shelves of drugstores empty of often life-saving medicines.
Although there was proof that the company had conducted several court cases over the years to pressure government into transferring the funds allocated for medicine, company officials were generally unwilling to meet with her and tried to deter her from persisting with the investigation.
“They were afraid of losing their contract,” says Anastasia Drozdova.
Resistant sources
Access to information is Russia for both journalists and the general public is a major challenge. In the course of her investigation, Anastasia Drozdova was met with a general unwillingness of her sources to help her with her investigation, from both the company in charge of purchasing the medicines to local government officials and even doctors.
Her strategy was to keep things as official as possible by requesting access to documents and sources through the official channels available. Her main fear was primarily centered on making mistakes in her reporting which could have dire legal consequences for herself and her newspaper.
Minister of Health forced to resign
When her series of articles were published in September 2012 in her newspaper detailing the flawed medical system, public debates and other media coverage followed. This, coupled with a number of other issues forced the Minister of Health forced to make a public apology to those affected by the lack of medicines and promise to improve the situation. He was subsequently forced to step down.
Considering the limited maneuvering space for critical journalism in Russia, especially where the authorities are concerned, this was a major turn of events. In spite of this, Anastasia Drozdova remains disappointed in what followed and is determined to keep the case alive.
“Local government ended their contract with the company and subsequently established their own company, a type of business enterprise where the state owns the majority of the company’s shares to manage the purchase of medicines for drugstores. But to this day, the problem persists. Most people are still not getting their medicine,” she explains.
“The new state-run company has not made things more efficient. Not enough money is set aside by government to cover the amount of medicine needed. In fact, no one knows quite how much money is needed.”
Recently, her newspaper The New Caravan asked the Ministry of Health how their work to improve the situation was progressing and their work continues to keep the matter in the public eye.
Read the full investigation here.
Anastasia Drozdova is part of a mentoring programme for investigative journalists in Russia, SCOOP Russia, supported by IMS. Nine investigative journalists taking part in the Scoop Russia programme are taking part in the Global Investigative Journalism Conference with IMS support.
