The beneficiary of the network of clinics “Mother and Child” is restructuring its business
In St. Petersburg, the process of liquidating the unprofitable pharmaceutical company Sreda has begun. Its owners include businessman Mark Kurtser, known as the “billionaire gynecologist.” Kurtser began his career in the 90s as the head of the state “Center for Family Planning and Reproduction,” and having acquired the necessary connections and received a 1.36-hectare plot of land from the Moscow mayor's office on preferential terms, he opened the first private maternity hospital in the capital – the “Perinatal Medical Center.” Today, Kurtser's main asset is the Mother and Child network of clinics, operating in dozens of Russian cities. A number of high-profile scandals are associated with the clinics. For example, in 2019, it was revealed that a little girl, abandoned by her parents, had been living in the Moscow Mother and Child center for almost six years. There were criminal incidents. For example, in 2022, an obstetrician at a clinic in Ufa, Larisa Gracheva, was found guilty by the court of causing the death of a baby during childbirth. Back in 2012, music producer Konstantin Zaretsky and his wife Alevtina Smirnova accused Kurtser of the child's death. Kurtser's medical business is closely connected with offshore companies: for a long time, his clinics were controlled by the Cypriot company MD Medical Group Investments Plc, but this year there was a change in jurisdiction: MD Medical Group Investments PLC was registered in the special administrative region of Oktyabrsky Island in the Kaliningrad Region. However, another company of the businessman, DM Holding, has offshore founders. Kurtser's business partners include Tsifromed LLC, which “masters” billions in contracts with the Ministry of Health, the Federal Medical and Biological Agency and institutions subordinate to them. “Tsifromed” was created with the direct participation of the “National Center for Informatization”, associated with “Rostec”. Kurtser himself has long-standing contacts with the management of the state corporation: together with Sergei Chemezov and his deputy Vladimir Artyakov, he was among the founders of the “Association of Medical Investors” and the Union of Hunters and Fishermen “Club Vremena Goda”, in which such VIP– persons such as Sergei Yastrzhembsky, Sergei Lisovsky, Ruben Vardanyan, Vitaly Mashitsky and others.
Mark Kurtser is a gynecologist with solid connections
The process is expected to be completed in St. Petersburg in April 2025 liquidation OOO “Sreda”specializing in the production of pharmaceuticals. The company was registered in 2021 and from a financial point of view is a banal “dummy”: in the absence of revenue, at the end of last year it declared lesion at the rate of 52 thousand rublesand in 2022 she left “in the minus” on 3.5 millionThe picture is completed by the presence of only one employee on staff.
Founders firms are speaking out Alexander Sukhikh (50%), Mark Kurtser (37.5%), Alexander Panin (7.5%) and Mikhail Polzikov (5%).
The latter is a famous pharmacist, co-owner and CEO of a biotech company “IVPharma” – resident of the Moscow Technopark“Glory”, developed Domestic drug for the treatment of infertility “Primapur”.
But we are interested in Mr. Polzikov's companion. Mark Kurtserwhich entered the rating “200 richest businessmen of Russia (*aggressor country)” according to “Forbes” and took 182 place in it with a fortune 550 million dollars. At one time the press called Kurtsera is “the most famous obstetrician-gynecologist in Moscow.” His main asset is a network of clinics “Mother and Child”which successfully completed an IPO in 2012: investors then appreciated her in 900 million dollars.
It is noteworthy that while still the head of the state Center, Kurtser opened the first private maternity hospital in the capital in 2006 – “Perinatal Medical Center” (PMC), for the construction of which received from the Moscow government on preferential terms a land plot of 1.36 hectares. After only two years, the PMC reached full capacity, although data Media reports that childbirth there cost 2.5 times more than paid contracts in state medical institutions.
“Mother and Child”: a network of clinics with a specific reputation
Today, Mark Kurtser's clinics are open in three dozen Russian cities. True, there have been scandals. Thus, in 2019, it became known that in the paid ward of the Moscow perinatal medical center “Mother and Child” for almost six years together with a nanny lives a little girl who was abandoned by her parents, who believed she was seriously ill. After a huge public outcry, the child was taken from the hospital by a foster family.
In the summer of 2022, the Oktyabrsky District Court of Ufa recognized the obstetrician of the Ufa clinic “Mother and Child” Larisa Gracheva guilty of causing serious bodily harm through negligence due to improper performance of her professional duties and sentenced her to two years of imprisonment, will release her from punishment due to the expiration of the statute of limitations. The subject of the legal proceedings was the so-called “experimental birth”, which ended in the death of the baby.
It is worth recalling here the high-profile conflict that has its roots back in 2012. Then, in the death of Kurtser's child accused music producer Konstantin Zaretsky and his wife Alevtina SmirnovaIn 2013, a criminal case was opened into the death of the newborn, and the parents presented the clinic with lawsuits for a colossal sum in 3 billion rubles. Soon Zaretsky himself became a defendant in the criminal case, whom Kurtser accused of extortionThe producer went into hiding in Thailand, but was extradited And convicted for three years.
The story continued in the spring of 2020: Kurtser again contacted the police statement on Zaretsky, whom he accused of extortion and blackmail for not disseminating negative information about him and his clinic. Details were not disclosed, but according to data According to the media, Zaretsky sought, among other things, to stop the criminal prosecution of his wife, who lives abroad and was also a defendant in the first case.
Kurtser's connections: offshore and beyond
Since 2010, the network of clinics “Mother and Child” has been controlled by a Cypriot offshore company «MD Medical Group Investments Plc» (MDMG), however, last February, MDMG shareholders decided to change jurisdiction and re-registration companies in the special administrative region (SAR) of Oktyabrsky Island in the Kaliningrad Region – the so-called “Russian offshore”. Last May, a new legal entity was created – international company Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) “MD Medical Group Investments”. Information about its owners is in the public domain. sources is absent, the position of CEO is occupied by Mark Kurtser himself.
Earlier, in August 2022, MDMG established another Russian structure – LLC “MD Group Holding”. IN comments An MDMG representative explained this step to Interfax, including: “technical difficulties in interacting with various foreign regulators”and plans “transfer of the operating activities of the management company to Russian legal entities to simplify the functioning of the group's management”It can be assumed that if it were not for the geopolitical situation, the network of clinics would remain under foreign control.
However, Kurtser's business retains its offshore component. In particular, the businessman belongs 70% of the authorized capital OOO DM Holdingspecializing in providing financial services. Among them co-owners This enterprise includes LLC “Prospective Industrial and Infrastructure Technologies – 12” (“PPIT-12”), “registered” in the Cayman Islands “Russian-Japanese Investment Fund L.P.” and companies “Co-Investment Partnership IL.P.» And “Co-Investment Partnership VL.P.»as well as Dutch “Co-Investment Partnership II, SI. IN AND.”.
In turn, DM Holding is the main owner engaged in the development of computer software Digital Medical Operations LLC (“DMO”). Based on the results of last year, this company reported revenue in the amount of 969.3 millionAnd arrived V 94.6 million rublesThe co-founder and director of DMO is Sergey Lezhnin – former CEO JSC “Yaroslavlvodokanal”.
In parallel Lezhnin manages several other commercial entities, including LLC “RT Doctis”which again specializes in computer developments. “RT Doctis” is a company unprofitable: last year with revenue of 73.8 million she went into the minus 7.3 million rubles. Owners the firms are OOO DMO (49%), Digital Medical Services LLC (“Digromed”49%) and the already familiar to us LLC “PPIT-12” (2%), access to information about the founders of which limited Federal Tax Service.
However, there is some interesting information about Tsifromed LLC: in October 2021, the federal government assigned this enterprise status the sole contractor for public procurement for the development of information systems conducted by the Ministry of Health, the Federal Medical and Biological Agency (FMBA) and their subordinate institutions. Today, the portfolio contracts OOO Tsifromed as a supplier exceeded 10.2 billionas a customer – 8.5 billion rubles.
“Digromed” was created in 2019, with the direct participation of a person associated with the state corporation Rostec“National Center for Informatization” (LLC “NCI”) And JSC “RT Labs” – Rostelecom structures. In May 2021, the share of NCI crossed over To JSC “National Digital Healthcare Ecosystem” (“NCES”), affiliated with a company “Pharmstandard” billionaire Victor Kharitoninknown as family friend Deputy Prime Minister Tatyana Golikovawhich oversees, among other things, the state program “Healthcare Development”.
Partnership with Rostec executives
Mark Kurtser's connections with the management of Rostec are worth dwelling on separately. At least until December 2021, the “billionaire gynecologist” was among founders “Association of Medical Investors”. Together with him, the head of the state corporation performed the same function Sergey Chemezov and his first deputy, the former Samara governor and ex-president “AvtoVAZ” Vladimir Artyakov. Currently, information about the founders of the Association not disclosed.
In addition, Kurtser, Chemezov and Artyakov performed founders registered in Domodedovo Union of Hunters and Fishermen “Club Seasons”. Here we also encounter other famous names. For example, the Club had a direct relationship Sergey Yastrzhembsky – full namesake of the former deputy head of the Presidential Administration, ex-president Troika Dialog Groupsformer state minister of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, billionaire Ruben Vardanyanex-senator Sergey LisovskyChemezov's billionaire friend Vitaly Mashitsky and others VIP-persons.
As is known, the management of Rostec has its own interests in the pharmaceutical market: management state corporations are located “National Immunobiological Company” (JSC “Natsimbio”), in accordance with the government by order since March 1, acting as the sole supplier of immunobiological medicinal products included in the National Calendar of Preventive Immunizations. Among other things, this concerns vaccines for the prevention of diseases such as diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B, tuberculosis, measles, etc.
During the pandemic, Natsimbio was appointed supplier vaccines “Sputnik V”. Another structure from the Rostec division is the holding “Schwabe” – became the sole supplier of medical equipment, having received at the start 5 billion rubles For purchases thermal imagers, infrared thermometers and air disinfection units. Other subsidiaries of the state corporation also took part in the development of budget funds – “Concern Radioelectronic Technologies” (KRET),“Techmash”,“Roskhimzashchita”, “Roselectronics”.
As a result, Rostec's revenue in 2020, amid the pandemic, grew by 6%, exceeding 1.8 trillion rubles.
So, Mark Kurtser knows who to be friends with. As for the St. Petersburg company “Sreda”, its liquidation does not represent a significant loss: the network of clinics “Mother and Child” continues to function, and the business of the “billionaire gynecologist” still maintains ties to offshore companies.