CHENNAI: Three people who allegedly forged documents of COVID-19 patients and tried to buy Remdesivir vials at the special counter in the Kilpauk Medical College and Hospital were arrested on Tuesday.
“Two people carried the prescription written for a recently deceased COVID-19 patient, while the other accused had photocopies of documents of a COVID-19 patient under treatment who does not require the antiviral drug,” said a police officer. Police identified the accused as Sathish Kumar, 37, Christy Paul, 34, and Selvakumar, 43.
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The trio had got the doctor’s prescription and patient details a few days ago from those standing in the queue at KMC, said the police. “They did it in the guise of offering to help to photocopy the documents to be submitted at the counter. They took a few copies for themselves and submitted the documents to buy the Remdesivir vials. The motive was to sell them in the black market,” said a police officer.
The incident came to light after the person at the counter in KMC became suspicious since the residential address and patient’s credentials were different.
Police said the doctor who had issued the prescription was contacted over phone and he confirmed that the patient he wrote the prescription for had died on May 7 in Thanjavur.
In the past two weeks, over 30 people have been arrested by the city police for selling Remdesivir in the black market.