India News | Lab Technician Held for Charging Money for RT-PCR Tests
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. A lab technician of a government hospital and a sample collection worker were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly charging money from people for conducting RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 in Rajasthan's Bikaner district, an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) official said.
Jaipur, May 26 (PTI) A lab technician of a government hospital and a sample collection worker were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly charging money from people for conducting RT-PCR tests for COVID-19 in Rajasthan's Bikaner district, an Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) official said.
A complaint was received that lab technician Ravindra Upadhyay, posted at a government hospital in Ganga Shahar of Bikaner, was demanding Rs 800 for getting coronavirus confirmatory RT-PCR test done, DGP, ACB, B L Soni said.
Coronavirus tests are conducted free of cost at government-run hospitals in the state.
Soni said Deepak Gehlot, a sample collection worker of a private lab, was in league with Upadhyay and was also charging more money for conducting tests privately than the prescribed government rate.
During investigation, ACB officials pretended as suspected COVID-19 patients to get the RT-PCR test done. Upadhyay and Gehlot were contacted and they demanded Rs 1,600 for the tests, the ACB said, adding both the individuals were subsequently arrested.
Soni said a case has been registered against them under sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and their residences are being searched.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)