(Mirror Daily, United States) – Indian authorities have recently arrested a man who injected the HIV virus in 33 people while impersonating a doctor.
Police said the fake doctor, Rajendra Yadav, used an infected needle to “treat” his patients.
The man reportedly visited his patients at their homes and even “prescribed” them medication for their ailments. He charged the unknowing patients a few cents for each treated condition. People in India agree to pay such wandering doctors since the country’s health system is too overburdened to take their cases.
In November, local authorities knew something was wrong when dozens of people from the same area tested positive for the HIV virus. Medics noted that many cases came from the same area, so they had to set up awareness sessions and treat the patients.
Fake Doctor Used the Same Needle on Dozens of Patients
All patients said Yadav gave them the shots without changing needles. Authorities suspect the needle was tainted with the deadly virus which causes AIDS. On Wednesday, the phony doctor was arrested at his residence in Bangarmau.
He now faces charges of homicide, doctor impersonation, and spreading a dangerous disease. The police said they aren’t 100% that the man is the sole responsible. There may be others, so the investigation is ongoing.
Very few people in the area where Yadav was operating knew what happened before the media covered the case. A local shopkeeper recalled that one of his friends told him that he had been diagnosed with HIV, but didn’t know how was that possible.
With a population of 1.33 billion Indians, the country faces a severe shortage of medics. So, many Indians who live in rural areas resort to untrained “doctors” for health care service.
According to official statistics, there was one physician to every 1,500 patients in India last year. Authorities are trying to fix the issue by investing more in new medical schools and revamping the existing ones.
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