A member of the nursing staff at Bhopal's JK Hospital has been arrested for administering saline to coronavirus patients instead of anti-viral drug Remdesivir, which is in high demand for treating COVID-19 patients, and black marketing it.
Last week, 860 injections of Remdesivir were stolen from the stock of the government-run Hamidia Hospital in Bhopal.
Accused Jhalkan Singh, 24, also sold the injection to a doctor from the JK hospital for Rs 13,000, said police. He has been black marketing injections for Rs 20,000-30,000, it added.
Singh told police that his girlfriend, working in the same hospital, stole the injections and would keep empty bottles of Remdesivir near the patients' bed while administering them saline.
The woman is on the run. The police have charged them under various sections of the IPC, including offences affecting the public health, safety.
Sources say, senior officials are also under scanner for the alleged theft of injections from Hamidia hospital.
On Tuesday, a hospital technician was arrested for black marketing Remdesivir injections. Accused Yasir Khan, working as a technician at the hospital, told police that he was trying to sell Remdesivir to make money. Three injections were recovered from his possession.
Last week police busted a gang including a doctor, chemist shop attendants involved in black marketing of the key Covid drug.
Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that action would be taken under the tough National Security Act against those black marketing Remdesivir.
The state government has said they are making all necessary arrangements for the treatment of Covid patients on a priority basis.
About 1,50,000 doses of Remdesivir have been received from seven different companies, said state officials.
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