New Delhi: Drugs close to expiry dates helped boost profits at sham hosp

Investigation reveals accused procured near-expiry medicines for profits at Agarwal Medical Centre. Police scrutinising purchase receipts for evidence. Seized sub-standard equipment, including rusty scissors and outdated blood sample preservation. Operation theatre described as filthy and of substandard quality. Congested and unkept beds arrangement. 414 prescription slips with only doctors' signatures found. Six people arrested, including proprietor, lab technician, fake surgery notes preparer, medical representative, and middleman quack.

Updated On Nov 27, 2023 at 08:07 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Investigation into the racket at Agarwal Medical Centre in GK-I has revealed that the accused may have procured medicines nearing their expiration date as these were cheaper.

A police source said the accused would purchase these medicines in bulk and then sell them to patients at the original prices, reaping substantial profits. This practice extended beyond medicines to include syringes and other medical equipment. The police are currently scrutinising the receipts for these purchases to gather further evidence.

Another police source said one of the accused kept giving contrasting answers on the procurement of the medicines.

Cops had earlier seized medical equipment, including surgical blades, banned injections, expired medicines and gowns, from the nursing home. "All the equipment was of sub-standard quality,"an officer said.

Another officer said, "The equipment used to preserve patients' blood samples was also outdated. The scissors used for operations were rusted." The medical team that accompanied the cops said that the operation theatre was of substandard quality and filthy. A person who accompanied the police inside the medical centre said it was congested and unkept. "Beds were placed just like bogies," he said.

Police said the seizures included 414 prescription slips containing only the signatures of the doctors, with considerable empty space at the top. "We found documents where only doctors' signatures were present. We have questioned the accused regarding this, but they were unable to provide any proper answers," an officer said.

So far, six people have been arrested in the case: Niraj Agarwal (MBBS), proprietor of the medical centre; his wife, Pooja Agrawal; Mahender (lab technician); Dr Jaspreet MBBS (MS), who prepared fake surgery notes; Deepak, a medical representative, who allegedly sent more than 400 people to the centre; and Julfiqar, the quack, who allegedly sent at least 40 patients to the illegally operated centre and collected a significant middleman's commission from Agarwal, police said.