Conditions for patients in the Makhachkala hospital have prompted criticism of the Ministry of Health of Dagestan.

A 16-year-old patient in the oncology department of a hospital in Makhachkala had to be carried down the stairs by hand due to the lack of an elevator, a local resident reported. Other locals, commenting on his complaint on social media, criticized the Ministry of Health of Dagestan, while former patients shared that they faced issues with the elevator in this hospital more than 10 years ago.

As reported by "Caucasian Knot", problems in the healthcare system of Dagestan regularly become a reason for complaints from residents and criticism of the Ministry of Health of the republic. Thus, on September 2, 2026, residents of Dagestan doubted the Ministry of Health's report on the work of women's consultations in Makhachkala and complained about queues and the need to seek paid medical services.

One of the patients filmed a video of two men carrying a seriously ill patient from the oncology department of the N.M. Kuraev Children's Republican Clinical Hospital in Makhachkala down the stairs. The video was published on September 7 by the Instagram*-public tut.dagestan.

"Just a cry from the heart. The city of Makhachkala, Kuraev Multidisciplinary Hospital, the oncology block does not have a simple passenger elevator. This method has to be used to carry an oncology patient; in the video, a seriously ill 16-year-old boy is unable to stand on his own at the moment. I ask you to spread this and do something about it," the video description states.

This post in the Instagram*-public tut.dagestan, which has about 1.6 million followers, had received 3,725 likes and 207 comments by 09:00 MSK on September 8.

Commenters, identifying themselves as residents of Dagestan, criticized the Ministry of Health of the republic. "How is this possible, where is the Ministry of Health looking?" wrote pati_12123.

"Where is this new Minister of Health, let him take a look at this hospital," demanded user vazi333.

"Why then did everyone applaud and praise the former chief physician as a national hero when he was sent off to retirement?" questioned saipudinova_e_s.

Other users shared that they also faced problems using the elevator in this hospital. "I was there too, it was a cry from the heart: I couldn't walk, a few steps and I was dying from shortness of breath. Meanwhile, doctors use such a large elevator themselves, while patients walk, holding wounds and painful areas. They should have taken measures already," complained djamika.perfume.

"I was also carried out like that 12 years ago, unfortunately, and that problem existed then," noted magomedovaa986.

"I am very dissatisfied with this hospital. Earlier, they didn't let you use the elevator without money; after surgery, I came for a dressing and didn't give money, I went in with my daughter, and I heard so much. After the appointment, I called the elevator, but the elevator operator came and closed the elevator in front of us and went down. I carried my 14-year-old daughter down and went to look for the head of the department, but I was only told that they would pass it on, and that was all I could achieve," complained sanichka1169.

Commenters also reported similar problems in other medical institutions in Dagestan. "There is a dialysis center nearby, also without an elevator," wrote alieva3811.

"In Derbent, there is also a palliative department, a department for cancer patients, there is no elevator. Patients have to be carried on hands as well," noted lilu.0000000.

"The elevator problem in Dagestan exists in all clinics. I constantly face this problem with my wheelchair child," complained malaika_137.

As of 09:00 MSK on September 8, there are no comments on the Ministry of Health of Dagestan's website regarding local residents' complaints about the elevator problem in medical institutions.