High-risk buprenorphine worth lakhs stolen from Civil Hospital in Punjab's Moga

A theft of buprenorphine injections worth about Rs 7 lakh has been reported from the drug store of Moga Civil Hospital. The theft came to light when the hospital authorities discovered that a large quantity of the high-risk medicine was missing from the stockroom.

According to preliminary information, unidentified miscreants broke open the lock of the hospital’s medicine store and made away with the narcotic-grade buprenorphine injections. The drug, used for pain relief and de-addiction therapy, is also commonly abused by drug addicts as a substitute for heroin and other opioids.

Sources in the Health Department revealed that the theft might have occurred during night hours. Shockingly, no security guard or CCTV surveillance system was active near the store at the time. This has raised serious questions about the lax security measures and negligence of the hospital administration.

After the theft was noticed, Senior Medical Officer (SMO) Dr Sandeep Kumar and other officials inspected the spot and immediately informed the police. A team from City Police Station, Moga, reached the hospital and initiated an investigation.

Officials suspect that the stolen drugs may have been diverted into the local illegal drug market, as buprenorphine is in high demand among addicts. The police are checking CCTV footage from nearby areas and have started questioning hospital staff.

Meanwhile, Health Department officials have ordered an internal inquiry into the incident to determine how such a huge quantity of controlled drugs was stolen without any alarm.