NAGPUR: There has been no headway in the case of seven Covishield vaccine vials going missing from a rural hospital in Akola. Even 24 hours after the complaint was first received, hospital authorities have not lodged an FIR, making it difficult for Akola cops to step up investigations.
Chatari rural hospital authorities, who have started an internal inquiry, had lodged a ‘missing’ complaint on February 16 with Channi police of Akola. After finding no conclusive clues from staffers, the cops are now contemplating questioning family members of staffers. Police feel there could be an insider behind the vials going missing.
The missing vials had been kept in a container with 37 other vials. The seven vials had been untraceable since February 12. The hospital authorities had initially tried to zero down upon the culprit themselves before approaching the cops, already causing a delay of four days.
The vials were stored at a place accessed by only a handful of staff nurses since February 5, when the vaccination drive started nationwide. The on-duty nurses would hand over the vaccine container to their relievers when duty changed.
A senior official of the police department said they have now approached the district administration to inform them of technical difficulties in conducting a thorough probe without an FIR of theft. “The persons being questioned at present are revealing almost nothing. So police cannot come to a logical conclusion. Police are unable to grill anyone more or summon suspects to police stations as there is no complaint of theft,” said an officer.
SP G Shridhar, who is monitoring the probe, said the matter is at a nascent stage. “We are looking into all possible angles,” he said.
Investigation officer Assistant PI Rahul Wagh of Channi police station said statements of seven persons have been recorded so far, including medical superintendent, staff nurses and also ward boys. “We are questioning all the concerned persons at the hospital connected to the vaccine drive,” he said.
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