Chandigarh, March 3: Thieves broke into the sub-divisional hospital in Dhuri on Tuesday, decamping with more than 20,000 buprenorphine tablets and a computer system. The incident marks the second major security breach at the government facility in less than a year, following a similar theft of 9,000 opioid substitute pills in April last year.
Medical staff reported that the storeroom had been secured with double locks before the shift ended. “When we returned for duty today, we found the locks broken and the room ransacked,” stated Dr. Saloni, a medical officer at the hospital. She affirmed that both the Senior Medical Officer and local police were immediately briefed on the loss of the essential medication, which is used for opioid substitution therapy.
Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh conducted an on-site inspection following the report and acknowledged a significant failure in the hospital’s security protocols. The minister maintained that the government is investigating potential internal involvement, as the recurrence of such thefts suggests a pattern. He declared that while the medicine is provided free of cost to registered patients, the theft indicates the existence of an illegal trade.
“The accused will be arrested soon. We are also looking into internal accountability,” Dr. Balbir Singh affirmed. He stated that similar incidents have been reported in other districts, including Moga, and asserted that any employee found complicit would face strict disciplinary action.
