320 doses of COVID-19 vaccine stolen from Jaipur hospital

India: 320 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have gone missing from a hospital in Rajasthan capital Jaipur. An FIR has been registered by the hospital administration in this regard.

The incident reportedly took place on Tuesday at Kanwatia Hospital in Shastri Nagar area of Jaipur.

The FIR was lodged in the case after the hospital staff failed to locate the vaccine. The case has been registered under Section 380 (Whoever commits theft in any building, tent or vessel) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Meanwhile, the probe has been handed over to Head constable Harnath Singh. Male nurse Hiralal Verma had filed the complaint about the missing vaccine at the Shastri Nagar police station.

The FIR has been filed against unidentified persons. Meanwhile, a report said the health department will probe the case of the missing vaccine. There are fears that the vaccine might be sold on the black market.

Earlier on March 8, Rajasthan Health Minister Raghu Sharma had claimed shortage of the vaccine against the coronavirus disease in the state.

The suspected theft of the COVID vaccine comes amid reports of a shortage of vaccine doses in several parts of the country.