‘Gambhir got Covid meds for health camp that never was’

Officials privy to a probe by the drug controller’s office say that the BJP MP’s foundation used one letter to procure 2,500 tablets of Fabiflu at a time when the medicine was in short supply

At the peak of the second wave of Covid-19 in Delhi, with cases soaring to almost 20,000 a day, and people scrambling for oxygen, beds, and essential medicines, the Gautam Gambhir Foundation used “one letter” to purchase at least 2,500 strips of Fabiflu for a “free medical camp” that never happened, according to an inquiry conducted by the state Drug Controller (DC).

A Covid-19 patient on oxygen support waits outside Lok Nayak Hospital in April. The city’s health care system crumbled under the pressure of an unprecedented rise in Covid cases in April-May, and shortage of medicines and oxygen. ( Ajay Aggarwal /HT PHOTO)

While the state government has already informed the Delhi high court that it will not continue its investigation against individuals, social organisations and gurdwaras for procuring oxygen and supplying it free to the people, the former cricketer-turned-east Delhi member of Parliament from the Bharatiya Janata Party is still being investigated for allegedly hoarding the medicines. The high court remarked during a hearing on July 29 that Gambhir “irresponsibly hoarded” the medicines while citizens did not have access to it because of the shortage.

Gautam Gambir’s office said they will not comment on it as the matter is being heard by the court.

On April 21, Gambhir tweeted asking “people of East Delhi” to come to his office at 2, Jagriti Enclave if they wanted “Fabiflu for Free.”

The Drug Controller has said that the parliamentarian’s foundation is liable for prosecution as it did not have the requisite drug licence under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, for purchase, stocking or distribution of drugs. The DC has mentioned this in their action taken report submitted to the court, according to officials privy to the details.

On July 17 , the Drug Controller informed the high court that they suspended the licence of four chemists for 10 days for supplying the medicine to the foundation.

A team of four officials from the Drug Controller’s office, which conducted the inquiry, also found that some chemists supplied more than half their stock to the foundation.

Sample this. The DC questioned Vinay Kumar Ahuja, proprietor of M/S New Sanjeevani Chemist located in Daryaganj, who confirmed that he supplied 1,000 strips of Favipiravir tablets (Fabiflu) vide invoice 0000407 against a purchase order of Gautam Gambhir Foundation and received ₹12,39,997 after which he was left with only 875 strips.

“The state government had already suspended our licence for 10 days in the case. Even after supplying the medicines, we had enough stock left,” Ahuja said.

Harshit Ahuja (no relation), proprietor of M/S Ahujason located in Patel Nagar, central Delhi was also questioned by the Drug Controller. The officials said Ahuja confirmed that he supplied 500 strips of Favipir tablets vide invoice 0000729 on April 29 and another 100 strips vide invoice 0000730 on April 26, against a payment of ₹9.90 lakh and ₹1.10 lakh. According to a stock statement he provided to the Drug Controller authorities, he had only 100 strips of the medicine.

Ahuja declined comment.

A third chemist, Medical Bureau, located at Bhagirath Palace, supplied 800 strips of the medicine but was left with 1244 strips. A person who answered the call at Medical Bureau said the proprietor Lakshay Kumar would respond. Till late Tuesday evening, there was no response from him.

The details of the stock remaining with the fourth chemist, Neelkant, the Medicine People at Saini Enclave, were not shared with the DC. This chemist supplied the foundation 243 strips.

To be sure, the DC noted in its report submitted to the court that “the dealers from whom this medicine was procured had sufficient balance stock in hand to supply to other retailers.”

In April and May, Delhi police arrested at least 150 persons for hoarding and black marketing Covid-19 medicines such as remdesivir injections, oxygen cylinders and Favipiravir tablets. Police have not provided specific data mentioning how many of the 150 persons hoarded Favipiravir.

The probe against Gambhir was launched on the basis of a Public Interest Litigation filed in the high court by a city resident.

The PIL alleged that while common people were not able to access the medicines, many politicians including Gambhir were hoarding them. Other politicians such as BJP spokesperson Harish Khurana, Congress youth vice-president BV Srinivas and former Congress MLA Mukesh Sharma were given a clean chit, but the DC said that Gambhir procured the medicines in bulk for distribution on a “single letter.”

According to the DC, the Gautam Gambhir Foundation requested a city hospital to organise a medical camp for Covid-19 patients and wrote a letter to this effect on April 18. One of the doctors of the hospital wrote back, saying he had been deputed to supervise the medical camp.

The doctor suggested the medicines to be prescribed in the letter, following which the foundation placed orders. Based on this one letter, the foundation procured 2,634 strips of medicine, the DC found.

HT is withholding the name of the hospital and the doctor as the Drug Controller has confirmed that neither were involved in purchasing or hoarding the medicines.

Interestingly, the camp never happened.

The Drug Controller questioned Gautam Gambhir Foundation’s CEO, Aparajita Singh, who confirmed that the foundation on April 15 passed a resolution to hold a medical camp at 22, Pusa Road New Delhi. Singh also confirmed that based on a letter from the hospital on the medicines that would be needed, she placed orders to buy Favipiravir tablets on behalf of the foundation. Singh also told the inquiry officials that while they intended to have the medical camp at the Pusa Road office, they never did so.

Neither Singh nor Gambhir in their statement mentioned why the medical camp was not held.