SATISH HANDA
Reports from all over in the country are being received that handful of cheats selling life saving dugs including ‘Remdesivir’ and ‘Tocilizumab’ injections to save life of serious Corona patients and oxygen in black market at eight to ten times higher price than maximum retail price. Even, police has arrested large number of cheats selling fake injections as a result large number of patients lost lives all over in country as well as in Haryana state. This correspondent when talked to about 50 persons including doctors, more than 90% of them demanded that government should hang such vultures playing with the lives of suffering patients struggling for life on hospital beds. It cannot be denied that large number of social workers, social welfare organizations, doctors and health workers are helping out Corona patients round the clock in hospitals to save their lives at the cost of their own life.
Both Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatter and Home cum Health Minister Anil Vij had several meetings in past couple of days to review health conditions in the state and take strict action against people involved in illicit practices during present epidemic outbreak. Expressing deep concern, Anil Vij told media persons that decision has been taken to have control over supply of life saving drugs like ‘Remdesivir’ and ‘Tocilizumab’ injections being sold in black market. He disclosed that information reveals that some of the private COVID hospitals are charging treatment charges higher than the rates prescribed by the government apart from misusing supply of such life saving drugs as such all such 42 private COVID hospitals in Haryana state has been directed to display authorized treatment rates as well as number of vacant beds in their hospital with immediate effect.
Both Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khatter and Health Minister Anil Vij while talking to media persons expressed deep concern over unfortunate incidents in which life saving drugs to treat serious Carona patients being sold in black market or in fake packing as well as some of the approved COVID hospitals charging higher prices from patients admitted in hospitals. Vij said, state government has decided to to take control over such life saving injections in their own control to stop illegal practice. Vij said, state government sent requirement for 20000 ‘Remdesivir’ injections for the treatment of serious patients suffering from Carona in the state, of these received stocks of 12700 injections from government in the centre and further supplied 6350 injections each to government as well as private COVID hospitals. Similarly, state government received 160 Tocilizumab injections and supplied 80 injections each to government as well as private COVID hospitals. He said, these injections will not be sold at any medical stores on the prescription of a doctor or available in a hospital and supplied by the district health department directly to curb black marketing.
Vij expressed deep concern over misuse of ‘Remdesivir’ injections in private COVID hospitals in which concerned staff in these hospitals has started selling these injections in black market. He said, complaints of over charging by some hospitals have also been received in recent past sometime. Not only this, several complaints of supply of fake injections has also been received and government is going to take strict action against such cheats playing with the life of patients for the sake of money. Vij said, a three members committee comprising of Dhruv Choudhary of PGI Rohtak, Dr Sushila Kataria of Medanta Hospital Gurugram and Dr Vadehra has been constituted in the state. He said, such life saving medicines will be supplied free of cost to patients in government hospitals and medical colleges in the state and those involved in selling at higher rates will be punished and action will be taken against private COVID hospitals charging excess amount towards treatment from patients.
In a meeting held at Chandigarh with the members of COVID Care committee, Vij said in view of reports received as regard mismanagement in private COVID hospitals also charging excess money from patients admitted in their hospitals. decision has also been taken that state health department should control management of private COVID hospitals as such Nodal Officers have been appointed by the government in every district to keep an eye over the working of these hospitals. Vij told media persons that 30% oxygen quota has been increased for private COVID hospitals in the state which will include 30% quota reserved for patients undergoing treatment through home isolation and district health department will keep an eye over it. Vij said, number of COVID beds has been increased in government hospitals at Ambala, Karnal, Kurukshetra and Rewari districts. Vij said, Director General Health Haryana Dr Veena Singh has been authorized to keep an eye over the activities and decisions on all private COVID hospitals in Haryana state.
Meanwhile, President of Bar Association Hisar Mandeep Bishnoi said that members of Bar Association Hisar has decided not to assist any person arrested by the police while black mailing life saving medicines, oxygen and cheating patients treating them as enemies of humanity, will not assist them in getting bale in the courts. Similarly, Bar Association Faridabad too followed similar decision taken by the Bar Association Hisar. Information reveals, most of Bar Associations in Haryana state has now decided not to assist an accused arrested in black marketing life saving drugs and oxygen.
