Black Market Of Ventilators Booms In Delhi

Exposed! Illegal businesses mushroom in city, exploit Coronavirus fear to stockpile and sell life-saving equipment at exorbitant rates

- Md. Hizbullah, Jamshed Khan and Nitin Jain

As the Coronavirus cases climb in the country, an India Today TV investigation has laid bare a grim reality — stockpiling and price-gouging of ventilators.

The devices pump oxygen into failing lungs. Critical COVID-19 patients may need them for survival.

When India Today TV probed Kamlesh Maurya, the business head of Delhi’s Medikam Enterprises, he admitted that soaring demands are prompting distributors like him to increase their prices of portable refurbished respirators.

“Demand is high. There’s no availability of ventilators,” he told India Today TV’s undercover reporter. “If you are fine with buying different brands, it will cost you more (than the regular price). If I have to ask for price quotations from the dealerships, it will be in the range of six lakh (rupees). The same device would normally cost half the amount, he acknowledged. Maurya claimed the price hikes have taken place in less than a week because of a scramble induced by coronavirus fears — and not because of medical emergencies. Companies have run out of stock now. People are ready to pay six-seven lakh rupees (per refurbished machine). Life is more important than money, he said. Earlier, a brand-new piece would cost seven lakh rupees.

WELL-OFF STOCKPILING VENTILATORS

Naman Jain of Teerthanker Mahaveer Traders in Delhi disclosed how high-ranking officials and housing societies are stockpiling portable ventilators, just in case. An assistant commissioner of police, he insisted, was one of his customers who he said had recently bought three machines at a premium price.