Duo confesses to managing bed for Chotila patient too

Rajkot: The two accused arrested in the 'bed for cash' scam in Rajkot Civil Hospital confessed of taking another Rs 9000 from a female patient from Chotila town of Surendranagar district for admission in the Covid ward. The patient was brought by a relative to the hospital on April 19.
Police have already arrested Jagdish Solanki (20), an attendant in the Covid ward and Hitesh Mahida (18), a sweeper, after a video of the former striking a deal for Rs 9,000 had gone viral on April 20. The duo had then managed to get an 85-year-old woman from Junagadh get admitted on the bed of a person who succumbed to the infection.
“During questioning, both accused confessed that they had also taken Rs 9000 from the relatives of Jignaben. a Covid patient from Chotila to get her admitted into the civil hospital. Solanki, who had brought the patient in a private car, told the doctor that the patient was his relative. We are questioning them to find out how many more patients they got admitted by taking money from their families,” the police said.
Elaborating their modus operandi, cops said that while Mahida would hunt for vacant beds inside, Solanki would negotiate with relatives of needy patients outside the hospital. As soon as Mahida would find a vacant bed, he would alert Solanki and the process of deceit would begin. Solanki used to pass on the patients’ details to Mahida who would make a case window and get the patient registered and a file made.
Mahida would then get a stretcher to the trauma centre, while Solanki would bring in the patient. All entries of Covid patients, however, take place only from the backside of the hospital from the Chaudhari High School ground. If asked why the patient was brought through trauma centre, the duo would lie that the patient had been taken for some tests.
Solanki and Mahida are from Jamnagar and knew each other. Both were dismissed from their jobs after arrest.