Delhi Crime branch last week arrested one Dr Altamas Hussain for manufacturing and selling fake Liposomal Amphotericin-B injections, used in the treatment of Black Fungus. 3,293 vials of fake injections were recovered from Hussain’s house in southeast Delhi’s Nizamuddin area. However, what makes the arrest much more significant is the fact that Hussain was arrested in April as well for selling fake Remdesivir injections and had spent few days behind bars.
According to a report by Indian Express, DCP (Crime Branch) Monika Bhardwaj said the Drug Control Department received information that a man named Mayank Taluja (25) was selling black fungus injections at high prices at Jamia.
During further investigation, police found the injections were manufactured at Dr Hussain’s house. Police arrested his brother Aftab in connection with the case and sent a team to Deoria in UP to nab Dr Hussain.
It is pertinent to note that Hussain has an MBBS degree from KGMC (Lucknow) and FIRCP from AIIMS (New Delhi). According to the Delhi Police, up until a few months ago he worked as a guest doctor (physician) in AIIMS and ran a clinic in Delhi.
S. N. Shrivastava, Delhi Police Commissioner tweeted whilst sharing the video of Hussain’s home with the boxes of fake medicine,“Delhi Police Crime Branch arrested 7 persons including 2 doctors for manufacturing and selling fake Black Fungus Liposomal Amphotericin-B injections and recovered 3293 vials of fake ‘Injections’ etc from residence of Dr. Altamas Hussain in Nizamuddin @HMOIndia @PMOIndia”
https://twitter.com/CPDelhi/status/1406534219321405441
In April, Hussain along with his associates identified as Kumail Akram, a resident of Ghaziabad, and Jajib Ali from Delhi were booked under Section 420 (cheating) of IPC and relevant sections of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the Epidemic Diseases Act and the Disaster Management Act and remained in jail from April 29 to May 8.
During the peak of the second wave, hospitals in the last-ditch effort to save the dying patients were recommending Remdesivir injections to the aggrieved families. With a supply crunch, the likes of Hussain jumped in and started manufacturing fake injections and sold them at exorbitant prices.
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While Hussain was playing with the lives of people by selling fake medicines, another news story from the Aligarh district of Uttar Pradesh had equally shocked everyone. Reported by TFI, an ANM (Auxiliary Nurse Midwife) named Niha Khan deputed at Jamalpur urban primary health centre was caught throwing 29 vaccine-loaded syringes in the dustbin.
Niha used to insert syringe needle inside the body of the vaccine recipients but took them out without releasing the vaccine. Reportedly, the in-charge of the Centre, Dr Afreen, was aware of Niha’s action but she did not take any action, nor tried to inform her superiors about the incident.
After interrogating the entire staff of the primary health centre including Niha and the doctor, the committee submitted its report and recommended the termination of Khan and her services. Agra District Magistrate of Aligarh Chandra Bhushan Singh instantly issued a show-cause notice to Khan and acting on the recommendation of the probe committee that indicted Khan, terminated her contractual service.
Crisis profiteering amidst a pandemic that has taken the lives of thousands across the country can be the lowest form of crime that one can ever commit. Imagine getting caught for it once and yet when released, going straight right back into it. The likes of Hussain and Niha need to be tried in the highest court of law and given the severest of punishments for their inhumane acts.