Row over Gautam Gambhir’s offer of free FabiFlu from his office
Fabiflu is widely used in managing symptoms of Covid-19 patients and is currently available in short supply in the city with the cases of the viral disease rising at an unprecedented pace.
A tweet by BJP East Delhi MP Gautam Gambhir on Wednesday offering free antiviral drug Fabiflu from his local office triggered a row with the opposition accusing him of hoarding the drug and questioning him if he could distribute it legally.
Fabiflu is widely used in managing symptoms of Covid-19 patients and is currently available in short supply in the city with the cases of the viral disease rising at an unprecedented pace.
“People of East Delhi can get ‘Fabiflu’ from MP office (2, Jagriti Enclave) for FREE between 10-5. Kindly get Aadhar & prescription,” Gambhir tweeted on Wednesday afternoon. However, the former cricketer-turned-politician didn’t specify how he managed to the get supply of the medicine which can only be bought on a doctor’s prescription.
AAP accused the BJP MP of hoarding the medicine. AAP leader Durgesh Pathak tweeted, “Gujarat — BJP president hoarding life saving injections. Maharastra — BJP EX CM fadnavis hoarding remdesivir. Delhi’s part-time BJP MP and full-time cricket commentator hoarding life saving medicines. Public representatives or criminals? You decide,” AAP leader Durgesh Pathak tweeted.
Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera raised questions on how Gambhir procured the medicine. Khera tweeted, “1) How much Fabiflu do you have in your possession? 2) How did you procure so much of Fabiflu? @GautamGambhir. CC @ArvindKejriwal: 1) Is this legal? 2) Is the shortage of Fabiflu at chemists’ shops due to such unauthorised procurement/distribution?”
Gambhir didn’t comment on the matter. However, he posted another tweet in the evening. “Delhi is my home & I will keep serving the people till my last breath. With many requests for beds, oxygen & medicines, we are helping as many as we can!,” he tweeted.
Responding to allegations of hoarding he tweeted, “Those who allowed Remdesivir to be black marketed at more than 30 thousand a vial & hospital beds to be sold for 5-10 Lakh in Delhi are concerned that a few hundred Fabiflu strips are being given for FREE to the poor. That’s their understanding of “Hoarding” #HumanLivesMatter”