"They sourced nearly 35 tons of used gloves from different hospitals and were preparing to sell it to dealers at throwaway prices," investigating officer Subhash Nikam told AFP. Cheap alternativeMany Indians though cannot afford proper PPE and use cheap alternatives including a handkerchief or scarf wrapped around the mouth and nose. Thousands of masks have been seized that were washed and repacked before being sold to dealers across cities at cheap prices, the official said. "We have conducted several raids in the state after receiving tip-offs about the sale of used facemasks,” an official from Bihar's health ministry said. Even before the pandemic India had a huge market for discarded medical equipment, including disposable syringes that have been long blamed for spread of infections like HIV and hepatitis.

Source: Dhaka Tribune August 28, 2020 11:48 UTC