At many hospitals in the state, there are complaints of patients not getting oxygen supply, shortage of medicines, non-availability of beds. Black marketing of Remdesivir injection continues unabated. At the same time, the oximeters and Vapourub machines have disappeared from the market.
BHOPAL — As the second wave of coronavirus infection in Madhya Pradesh takes a turn for the worse, there is a shortage of facilities at the hospitals in the state and the black marketing of medicines and medical equipment is also going on.
The number of Covid-positive patients increases by the day and so does the number of deaths. However, the state government has directed strict action against those who indulge in black marketing of medicines and other medical equipment. The number of daily infected cases has surpassed the 12,000-mark in the state.
The number of patients found to be positive for Covid-19 is more than 22 per cent. The worst hit districts reeling under the pandemic are Indore, Bhopal and Gwalior, where the number of infected patients has been increasing rapidly. Complete lockdown is being resorted to in a large part of the state. Educational institutions have been closed while tall claims are being made to improve the overall condition of the hospitals.
At many hospitals in the state, there are complaints of patients not getting oxygen supply, shortage of medicines, non-availability of beds. Black marketing of Remdesivir injection continues unabated. At the same time, the oximeters and Vapourub machines have disappeared from the market.
On Thursday, a medical shop owner and two others were arrested by the Madhya Pradesh police’s Special Task Force (STF) for allegedly black marketing Remdesivir injections used in the treatment of COVID-19 patients, an official said.
The arrested persons were identified as Rajesh Patidar, Gyaneshwar Baraskar and Anurag Singh Sisodia, STF Indore unit’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Manish Khatri said, according to PTI report.
“They were arrested based on a tip-off. The STF sleuths recovered 12 vials of injections of two different brands from them. It was printed on the packet of these vials that they are meant ‘for export only’,” he said.
The maximum sale price was not printed on them, but they were trying to sell each injection at Rs 20,000, the SP said.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has taken the alleged black marketeering of medicines and other materials seriously. The state health officials have been instructed to ensure a fair system of distribution of medicines and injections.
The Madhya Pradesh government has claimed that the supply of oxygen in the state would be 700 metric tonne by the end of April this year. On Sunday, the state received 390 metric tonne oxygen. The supply of oxygen to the state has been bolstered by supply from Odisha and Chhattisgarh.
Buildings are being identified for the Covid care centres in six divisions of the state — Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Sagar and Rewa so that swift arrangements can be made to treat the surging number of Covid patients. Nearly 1,000 beds will be available in these buildings. — IANS
(Inputs added)
