While the citizens of the entire nation are scrambling to get themselves a slot for the COVID-19 vaccination, there are mischievous elements like Nurse Niha Khan, who threw 29 COVID-19 vaccine without administering to the beneficiaries. The ANM (auxiliary nurse midwife) at an Aligarh based community health center was charged after being found guilty of medical malpractice and negligence.

Contents hide
1. Details
2. Dr. Afreen, in-charge of health center booked for covering nurse’s tracks
3. Nurse Niha confesses to crimes, Dr. Afreen expresses ‘regret’
4. Zee Hindustan falsely links foreign video To Aligarh Vaccine Wastage, Calls it ‘vaccine-jihad’

Details

The Aligarh police lodged an FIR against Niha Khan, an auxiliary midwife nurse and her medical officer-in-charge Afreen Zehra. Circle Officer Civil Lines was quoted by ANI saying-

“A complaint was received from the CMO office stating that there were 29 doses of COVID-19 vaccines which were left unused. The vaccination report was also uploaded on the portal without administrating the beneficiaries. A case has been filed against ANM Niha Khan and Afreen Zehra under various sections of IPC.”

Also Read: 6.5% COVID-19 vaccine gone to waste; What is causing the vaccine waste and how it can be fixed?

Dr. Afreen, in-charge of health center booked for covering nurse’s tracks

The heinous act was brought to light by CMO, Aligarh, Dr. Bhanu Pratap Kalyani who found out that 29 fully loaded COVID-19 vaccines were thrown in the dustbin. The beneficiaries who were to receive the vaccine were marked as ‘vaccinated’ at the Jamalpur health care center. The FIR not only consists the name of Niha Khan, but also Dr. Afreen, who was in-charge and allegedly covered up Niha’s treacherous crime.

The CMO was quoted by ANI saying-

“There is a possibility that some persons might not have actually received the vaccine. I have set up an inquiry committee by two ACMO-level officers and have asked them to submit a report as soon as possible.”

The initial inquiry report stated how Dr. Afreen Zehra was informed by a pharmacist that nurse Khan wasted vaccines by throwing it in the garbage but she failed to raise the alarm to the concerned officials and that she regretted the act. The report also added that after the FIR was launched against nurse Khan, she was terminated from her duty for wasting the vaccines and not doing her job in an appropriate way during the pandemic.

CO Vishal Chaudhary said-

“We have received 29 full doses of vaccine in the dustbin. Investigation is going on and things will soon be clear.”

Nurse Niha confesses to crimes, Dr. Afreen expresses ‘regret’

On May 25, nurse Niha finally confessed to the act of inserting syringes inside the body of the beneficiaries but taking them out instantly without injecting the vaccines. She also admitted to the fact that she threw the vaccines in the garbage.

Her alleged co-conspirator Dr. Afreen during her statement confessed that she received a call from from a pharmacist that told her about the crime taking place under her nose. Further, the pharmacist also sent Dr. Afreen some pictures that showed nurse Khan in the act as she cut the loaded syringe with a hub cutter. Dr. Khan also said that before she could reach out to the relevant authorities, she received a call from the CMO who inquired about the incident and she claimed how she regretted not informing the authorities earlier.

The whole incident can be traced back to May 24 when as many as 29 Covaxin loaded syringes were found in the garbage at a health center in Aligarh. Later during the investigation, it was found that the beneficiaries of the vaccine belonged to the 18-44 and their details were updated falsely on the government managed COWIN portal.

Also Read: COVID-19 Vaccine Guidelines: 12–16-week gap for Covishield; Recovered patients should wait 6 months

Zee Hindustan falsely links foreign video To Aligarh Vaccine Wastage, Calls it ‘vaccine-jihad’

Popular news platform Zee Hindustan falsely linked a video from Ecuador to the Aligarh vaccine wastage incident. The news platform also called labelled it ‘vaccine-jihad’ to sensationalize and add fiction to the facts.

Thanks to a simple reverse image search, the video that Zee News showed brought Shiksha News to a  CNN Espanol news report which was published on April 26, 2021.

Meanwhile, a few BJP politicians jumped the bandwagon and retweeted the video shared by Zee News.

Also Read: BMC floats tender to procure 1 crore vaccines; China will be barred to participate