Bengaluru: A lab technician was fired by the Department of Health and Family Welfare after the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike found that the health workers and lab technicians at a primary health centre in the city were handing out “fake COVID-19 negative certificates” for money.

The primary health centre in question is the Pobbathi City Primary Health Centre located in VV Puram and the lab technician who was fired was a contract employee.

Meanwhile, the department has filed a complaint with the police against the health workers and the lab technician in connection with the case.

The development comes after the local media conducted a sting operation at the clinic, prompting the BBMP officials to conduct an inspection of the same.

BBMP officials informed that the clinic was charging between Rs 2,500 and Rs 1,500 for a negative COVID-19 certificate and that the Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA), who was registering patients, lured people into “buying a fake COVID-19 negative certificate”.

The ASHA worker would then negotiate the price for the fake certificate and take the person’s mobile number once a price was fixed. The ASHA worker would then mix water in the swab sample kit instead of taking a proper sample and send the same to be tested. The person would receive the fake COVID-19 reports through the post and also receive a message on their mobile phone, BBMP Commissioner Manjunath Prasad informed.

Speaking about the incident, Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar said that an FIR will be filed against the concerned staff as a complaint has already been filed. “The lab technician, who was working on a contract basis, has been dismissed,” he tweeted, congratulating the local news channel for bringing the racket to light.

He also directed the concerned BBMP health officials to file a police complaint against the health centre.

A team comprising BBMP joint commissioner and health officials visited Bengaluru’s Pobbathi Maternity Hospital and inspected it. I have suggested that strict disciplinary action be taken against the ASHA worker and the lab technician involved in the fake COVID-19 tests,” Dr K Sudhakar said in another tweet.