Telangana: 4 arrested for allegedly selling Remdesivir and Favipiravir at exorbitant rates

Four people were arrested by the Telangana police on Sunday for allegedly procuring and selling COVID-19 antiviral drugs illegally. The four accused were selling Remdesivir and tablets for Rs 30,000 and Rs 4,000 against the original price of Rs 5,500 and Rs 3,500, respectively. The four accused have been identified as Belida Ashok Kumar, Buduru Sharath, Gaddala Vamshi, and Subhash.

"A team including Inspector Naveen of SOT Malkajgiri Zone conducted a raid in the limits of Kushaiguda and apprehended the accused while they were procuring the generic versions of Remdesivir and Favipiravir, which are being used as antiviral medicine for COVID-19 patients. They were selling these medicines at higher rates. Seized (3) Remdesivir of Hetero and (1) Favipiravir tablets box from their possession," the police said. 

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7 arrested in Mumbai 

The Mumbai Crime Branch on Saturday arrested 7 persons for allegedly selling Remdesivir injections at a higher rate than the actual price. The arrested persons have been accused of selling a vial of injection at Rs 30,000 against the actual price of Rs 5,400. Officials of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and crime branch also recovered stock of Remdesivir injection after raiding two places in the city on Saturday.

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Telangana COVID tally 

1,296 fresh cases of COVID-19 were reported in Telangana on Sunday taking the total tally to 45,076. Out of the total count, 32,438 patients have recovered propelling the recovery rate in the state to 72%. However, the state has also reported 409 deaths due to the virus while the total number of samples tested so far has reached 2,65,219. 

Meanwhile, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Saturday appealed to all those, who have recovered from COVID-19 to donate plasma and help in the treatment of coronavirus patients. She said that all those who had recovered from COVID- 19 and those who were having adequate antibodies can donate the plasma so as to save the lives of seriously affected patients of COVID-19, according to a release from the Raj Bhavan. The Governor, who visited the COVID-19 Plasma Blood Bank at ESI Medical College in Sanatnagar urged people not to have misconceptions about plasma donation.

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