The government of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has suspended the licence of a private hospital after a video of its staff providing fake COVID-19 reports went viral.
In the video, a group of people at a hospital in the city of Meerut can be seen talking to the staff of a nursing home, requesting a COVID-19 negative report. The hospital staff is heard saying a COVID-19 negative report costs INR 2,500 ($33 approx). It goes on to show people giving the accused INR 2,000 (approximately $26) as an advance with a promise to pay the remaining INR 500 ($6.7 approx) when the report arrives.
Meerut Uttarpradesh :
— आत्मसमर्पण BananaRepublic😷केला गणराज LoneWolf (@LoneRider2019) July 6, 2020
In viral clip, pvt hospital staff
promises Covid negative
report for money, FIR filed 😡
via.@IshitaBhatiaTOIpic.twitter.com/egE9sNqyhC
According to Anil Dhingra, District Magistrate of Meerut, they have identified the accused in the video, who demand money in exchange for fake COVID-19 negative reports.
“The accused has been identified as Shah Alam, the manager of the hospital. A case has been registered in this regard and we have suspended the licence of the nursing home. Today, we have sealed it also. Strict action will be taken against anybody who does something like this, in this time of crisis,” Dhingra said.
According to Indian Health Ministry, the country has reported 697,836 positive COVID-19 cases, while over 19,700 people have died due to the infectious virus.
