Leeches? Just what the doctor ordered - if you're in Russia
Ancient remedy is common in country's impoverished medical, economic system
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Moscow
THEY are small as physician assistants go, about five centimetres long, and slithery. They wiggle about for a bit on Elena Kalinicheva's back before getting down to what they do best: sucking blood.
Leeches - yes, leeches - are still widely prescribed in Russian medicine, about 10 million of them every year, in many cases as a low-cost substitute for blood thinners such as warfarin. "When you do it the first time, you think, 'My God, leeches!'" Ms Kalinicheva said. "But after you go through it, you understand there is nothing to worry about."
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