UPDATE 2 - Russian Opposition Figure Navalny Hospitalized Over Suspected Poisoning - Press Secretary

(@ChaudhryMAli88)

UPDATE 2 - Russian Opposition Figure Navalny Hospitalized Over Suspected Poisoning - Press Secretary

MOSCOW/OMSK (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th August, 2020) Russian opposition figure Alexey Navalny was hospitalized on Thursday in the city of Omsk over suspected poisoning, press secretary of his Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK) Kira Yarmysh said.

"Today in the morning, Navalny was returning to Moscow from Tomsk. He felt bad during the flight. The plane made an emergency landing in Omsk. Alexey has toxic poisoning. He is being delivered to a hospital now," Yarmysh wrote on Twitter.

Later she stressed that Navalny had been placed in an intensive care unit.

Yarmysh added that from the FBK's point of view, Alexey drank a poisonous substance poured to his tea.

The Omsk airport has confirmed to Sputnik that the S7 2614 flight had made an emergency landing over the health condition of one of the passengers.

The Hannover Medical school (MHH), Germany's largest medical center, refuted reports that Navalny's representatives were contacting the hospital to arrange the opposition figure's hospitalization there. In particular, the center's spokesperson told Sputnik that there were no such requests, and if there had been one, they could not satisfy it over the COVID-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, deputy chief doctor of the Omsk hospital, Anatoly Kalinichenko, told reporters that the treatment of Navalny, who is currently in a medically induced coma, was underway, adding that all the necessary specialists are available and no external assistance is required.

Subsequently, after running multiple medical tests, doctors did not find signs of a stroke, heart attack or infections, including coronavirus, as well as cerebral edema.

"At the moment, given the lab data and clinical studies, as well as data from blood tests, instrumental analysis and expert consultations, including consultations of Federal experts from the Pirogov Institute [National Research Medical University], Burdenko [Neurosurgery] Institute, we can say that there is no data showing traumatic injuries, including head injury, and there is no indication of a stroke or acute myocardial infarction," Kalinichenko said, as cited by the regional Health Ministry.

Navalny is currently in the intensive care department in Omsk, and his health condition is assessed as grave, but stable.