Covid beds up for sale for ₹9k in Rajkot Civil hosp

Covid beds up for sale for ₹9k in Rajkot Civil hosp

Hosp’s Attendant, Sweeper Detained

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Rajkot:22.04.2021 

“I won’t settle for anything less than Rs 9,000. Even I have to pay (part of this amount) to those inside (Rajkot Civil hospital). You will get the bed within 30 minutes.”

This is a part of the conversation between an agent and some relatives of a needy Covid-19 patient in Rajkot where hundreds have been braving blistering heat and waiting for hours to get admission into the Civil hospital for days together now.

On Wednesday, as the video of this backdoor entry deal went viral, the detection of crime branch (DCB) and Pradhyumannagar police station detained two persons - Jagdish Solanki (20) and Hitesh Mahida (18) - late in the night. Solanki works as an attendant in the hospital while Mahida is a sweeper. Both are residents of Jamnagar.

In the video, Solanki, sitting in the rear seat of the car, is heard asking for Rs 9,000 per bed while those negotiating with him reduce the amount. In between their conversation, Solanki gets a call and is heard telling the person on the other end, “ I won’t take anything less than Rs 9,000. If you have money, come in your vehicle at Chaudhary school and call me.”

Video grab of the incident where an alleged agent is taking cash

‘Attendant, sweeper exploited system loopholes’

VK Gadhvi, police inspector, crime branch told TOI, “They used the loopholes in the system to give backdoor entry to Covid patients in exchange for money. We will register an FIR against them after collecting more evidence.”

They admitted to have arranged a bed for only the relative whose video had gone viral.

Those negotiating with Solanki also assure there are more patients desperately seeking admission and they would direct all of them to him.

“I have to pay other people above me.. it’s very difficult at present to get a bed. There are many people taking this,” he says and answers in affirmative when asked “Do you have to pay the doctors also?. We thought these were your charges alone.”

The deal is finalized for Rs 8,000 and those giving him the money recorded the video handing over the amount to Solanki at an ATM of a nationalized bank.

At any given point of time, there are 50- 60 vehicles including cars and ambulances lined up at Chaudhary High School ground just behind the hospital. People even park their two-wheelers in the queue and when their turn nears, they call up home and ask relatives to bring the patient.

516 new cases, 77 deaths in Rajkot

Rajkot:

On Wednesday, Rajkot reported 516 new Covid cases in the district while 77 people succumbed in various Covid hospitals across the district in the past 24 hours ending on Wednesday morning. Jamnagar saw a new peak in new cases with 509 on Wednesday while 260 tested positive in Bhavnagar and 188 in Junagadh district. TNN