Saline water sold as Remdesivir, three held

Police on Sunday arrested three people on charges of selling saline water as Remdesivir for as much as Rs 20,000 per vial.

Vijayawada (Andhra Pradesh):Police on Sunday arrested three people on charges of selling saline water as Remdesivir for as much as Rs 20,000 per vial.

Chodavarapu Kishore (39), hailing from Vijayawada in Krishna district, and employed as an anesthesia technician at a private hospital, allegedly collected empty vials of Remdesivir. He filled saline water in these vials and sold them to pharmacies as Remdesivir, a key anti-viral drug used in the treatment of COVID-19. He sold each vial at a price of Rs 20,000.

Members of a family hailing from Guntur purchased these vials from the pharmacies as one of their relatives was infected with COVID-19 and was seeking treatment at a private hospital.

The truth came to light only when the doctors at the hospital found that the chemical in the vials was not Remdesivir. The family members immediately brought the incident to the notice of the task force police.

The police, who cracked the whip, seized six such vials in which saline water was filled as passed off as Remdesivir, besides arresting three people.