Bhubaneswar, May 7: An unauthorised COVID-19 testing centre-cum-laboratory was sealed in Puri district on Friday and a laboratory technician was arrested for allegedly running the fake unit, police said.
Some rapid antigen test (RAT) kits were seized from the laboratory in Kakatpur area following the arrest of the accused, Prakash Dash (36), who did his diploma in lab management, a police officer said. The technician used to provide fake COVID-19 negative certificates to people who wanted to visit other places, he said.
The incident came to light after a government doctor at a community health centre (CHC) complained to the police that several COVID-19 test reports bore his name as the consultant without his consent. "The doctor suspected the reports to be forged and immediately alerted police," SP (Puri) Kanwar Vishal told reporters. The police found that the laboratory technician was cheating people by forging prescriptions, the SP said.
Another person working in the centre has been detained for questioning, police said. The involvement of others in the racket and the source of the RAT kits are being investigated, Vishal said. - PTI
