Podgorica: Five women poisoned by botox, four in hospital — the doctor had no license

Five women have presented at the Clinical Center of Montenegro (KCCG) with symptoms of poisoning after botox applications, while four of them have been hospitalized and one refused admission, as the Montenegrin newspaper “Vijesti” reports.

According to the KCCG’s confirmation, the patients presented with severe symptoms: malaise (extreme fatigue), shortness of breath, difficulty swallowing and speaking, drooping eyelids and blurred vision — typical signs of intoxication with botulinum toxin.

“Vijesti” also writes that the Ukrainian citizen Julija Kushnereva, who had applied the preparation to the women, had no license to practice the profession, nor even a decision on the recognition of her foreign diploma, which is issued by the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Montenegro.

The case erupted on September 26, when Montenegrin police arrested the 44-year-old Ukrainian woman and a 41-year-old Montenegrin man suspected of illegally trading in preparations. Investigators suspect that a counterfeit or damaged preparation was used, obtained through illegal channels. The Ministry of Health subsequently found that the aesthetic services were being offered outside a registered health institution.

With the five new victims, the number of women affected by the counterfeit botox scandal in Podgorica has risen significantly, turning the case into one of the biggest health scandals of the year in Montenegro.