COURTESY HT NOV 22

Private lab fabricating Covid-19 report raided by drug control dept; two held

READ: Covid-19 test results can now be accessed online
HT Correspondent

htreporters@hindustantimes.com

Gurugram : The CM flying squad, along with the district drug control and health department, on Saturday raided a private lab in Saini Khera village in Sector 30.

As per officials, the lab has been fabricating Covid-19 test reports by charging extra money from people.

An FIR has been lodged against two people at Sector 40 police station and they have been arrested.

The nexus was busted when a member of the squad visited the lab on Saturday and asked for a Covid-19 positive report, saying that a positive report was requireD to take a leave from office. He was asked to pay ₹1400 cash, as per the complaint report filed by the medical officer of Bhorakalan community health centre.

The blood sample of the squad member was drawn and after 30 minutes, a positive report was sent to his Whatsapp number.

Amandeep Chauhan, district drug control officer, said, “The lab worked as a sample collection centre for a private lab in Delhi. They failed to furnish any relevant document as a proof of authorisation from Delhi-based lab to collect samples for Covid-19. One of the accused is a quack who took blood samples to fool people. Two people were caught red-handed at the spot for delivering fabricated Covid-19 test reports.”

According to the complaint report filed, the accused said that he managed to alter and fabricate reports through PDF writer. The squad after examining the mobile phone of the accused found that they also generated false Covid-19 test reports for Covid-19 positive patients. One of their clients who was tested Covid-19 positive had allegedly paid ₹3,000 for a negative report as the infected patient had to travel to the USA on November 18.