Manipur health officials booked for supplying substandard masks to hospital: Police

Imphal: A case was filed against some officials of the Health department of the Manipur government after substandard N-95 masks were seized by police in a raid at the Central Medical Directorate in Lamphel, officials said on Saturday.
The raid was conducted by a special team of the Vigilance and Anti-corruption Police Station on Friday after allegations were levelled that substandard masks were supplied to the district hospital in Churachandpur, they said.
The team seized 1,250 N-95 masks and samples of other medical protective gear, police officials said. On April 14, 200 defective N-95 masks were found to have been supplied to the district hospital, they said.
“The defective masks, supposed to be used in the isolation ward, were, however, returned on the same day and replaced with new ones” a senior official stated.
Besides the Directorate of Health officials, proprietors of five firms and some unknown persons have also been booked, police said. Further investigations are underway, they added.
69 prisoners released
Meanwhile, a total of 69 prisoners were released on Saturday from different jails in Manipur as per the Supreme Court guidelines to decongest prisons in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, an official said.
Of the 69 released prisoners, 64 were from Manipur Central Jail Sajiwa and five from Central Jail Imphal, said a statement issued by the Superintendent of Manipur Central Jail Sajiwa, S Touthang.
The prisoners were released on interim bail or parole for three months, the official said.
The prisoners were released to decongest the prisons in view of the outbreak of COVID-19 based on the recommendation of the high-powered committee constituted by the state government. (PTI)