Fraudsters promised vaccines that never came; toll mounts as experts look for main source of virus 

The hepatitis-B epidemic in Modasa has not only taken lives of many but also given rise to frauds.

Promising hepatitis-B virus vaccination at reasonable prices, some fraudsters have taken Rs17,000 from residents of Varthu village near Modasa. 

Tempted by the pricing at Rs12 a vaccination, (otherwise Rs50), about 1,500 residents in Varthu village, gave away money and never found self proclaimed doctors visiting the village again. 

Residents of Varthu village are scared as four people have died by now. Villagers say, this is for the first time that they have seen people dying due to a disease at such a large scale.

To keep themselves at bay from acquiring hepatitis B, villagers thought it safer to have vaccines at their door step at a 'reasonable price' 

“They showed us their NGO cards and claimed to be working for them. Because everyone was scared of infected with the deadly virus, we thought of getting vaccination at cheaper prices and that too at our door step,” said Savjibha Patel, a resident. Patel said that no one in the village suspected them to be frauds who would function at such a time when the village is gripped in an epidemic. 

Residents waited for few days for the people who claimed they were NGO workers to return to the village with vaccines. But even after two days, there were no signs of them. 

“We tried to contact the doctors at the numbers they gave but we are not able to reach them. They have run away after taking away our hard earned money from us,” said another resident Ishvarbhai Patel. Patel lost his wife to the deadly virus on Tuesday.

Two-year-old a victim

In a room full of adults at general hospital of Modasa, Yogesh Vaghela, just two, is a sight that pains any visitor. The boy is a victim of hepatitis-B. His father, Bharatbhai, says that he was not keeping well for last two months and had been feeling feverish. “When we approached doctors, they said he is suffering from hepatitis B,” said Bharat.  

Niyati Rana/ DNA-Daily News & Analysis Source: 3D Syndication