KORBA: A doctor posted at a government hospital in Chhattisgarh's Korba district was dismissed from service on Sunday for allegedly selling COVID-19 vaccines at his private clinic, officials said.
There were complaints that Dr Ashok Kumar Makhija, a child specialist posted at the Primary Health Centre Korba on a contractual basis, was allegedly selling COVID-19 vaccines of the government hospital at his private clinic, following which Korba Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Sunil Nayak probed the matter, Korba Collector Ranu Sahu said.
"The probe revealed that Dr Makhija had been allegedly indulged in the black marketing of the vaccines. Dr Makhija has been terminated from service and a directive has been issued to seal his private clinic which was being operated without any license, with immediate effect," she said.
The SDM said it was not immediately known how Dr Makhija obtained the vaccines.
"Each vial of the vaccine has 10 doses in total, and once opened for inoculation, all doses have to be used within a stipulated period of time. Dr Makhiha told us that he had been bringing the left vaccines (considered as wastage) in a vial," Nayak said.
However, official records showed no vaccine wastage was reported in the past two months in any vaccination centre in the Korba district, he said, adding that further investigation is underway.