AIIMS staff arrested for taking Rs 2.8 lakh for arranging COVID bed

The complainant informed the police that two people had taken Rs 2.8 lakh for the admission of his COVID positive wife to the Safdarjung Hospital here, officials told PTI. Based on the complaint, a case was registered. Both the accused were interrogated. One of them informed that they knew the complainant's brother-in-law who had contacted him for arranging an oxygen cylinder for his sister as he runs a manufacturing unit where welding work is done, according to the police.

"He arranged an empty oxygen cylinder for the complainant's relative and on April 30, the relative again contacted him for getting his sister admitted in some hospital as she was in a critical condition. Thereafter, he contacted his acquaintance for admission of the patient," Pranav Tayal (Deputy Commissioner of Police (Rohini) said. Hence, he contacted the AIIMS employee who told him that admission to any hospital during this pandemic was difficult but it could be managed if some money could be arranged.

He told him that Rs 5 lakhs was needed for admission of the patient in any hospital and sent his sister's mobile number, saying she can manage to get the patient admitted, the officer added. Acting as a middleman, the oxygen provider shared the employee's sister's contact number with the patient's son who further contacted her and got his mother admitted in Safdarjung Hospital.

Both the accused demanded Rs 5 lakh for getting the patient admitted in Safdarjung Hospital. After the complainant's son delivered Rs 2.8 lakh to them, the duo fled to Mandi, the officer said.

According to India Today, though the patient's family initially sought help from the accused and also paid Rs 2.8 Lakhs in advance, she succeeded in securing a bed in the facility without their help, yet the accused claimed the money and eventually escaped with the amount.

"During interrogation, it was revealed that the AIIMS employee, his brother, and one of his two sisters, all work at the AIIMS in Delhi, whereas, his other sister is a housewife and her husband was jobless for some time. Seeing it as a lucrative opportunity, she insisted her brother demand Rs five lakh from the patient's family," the DCP said.