BBMP on back foot after video reveals swab faking

BBMP swab collection

The arrest of two staffers, caught on video casually discarding unused swabs into a bin, has come as a big humiliation to the BBMP, admits Gaurav Gupta, chief commissioner.

“This incident has eroded the people’s trust in this organisation. Those involved in the incident have been suspended,” he told Metrolife, promising strict action to check any fraud.

Meanwhile, the BBMP is going all out to ramp up its testing from 50,000 to 64,000 tests a day. It is also working towards increasing the number of static testing units and mobile testing centres.

Why did the staffers Hemanth and Nagaraj fake the tests? Were they trying to show they were meeting daily targets? “We don’t know. We are working towards plugging loopholes,” he says. Special Commissioner (Health) P Rajendra Cholan says the BBMP has 1,300 swab collectors in all, and one static and three mobile teams attached to each primary health care centre.

“We have started monitoring labs on a daily basis to make sure there are no inconclusive reports,” he says.

Premanand B R, senior medical officer, urban primary health centre, Kodigehalli, says he filed a complaint against the staffers the moment they were exposed. “Such instances should never happen,” he says.