Peru police break up alleged scam charging huge sums for Covid ICU beds

Health minister says This is totally reprehensible' as families of seriously ill asked for up to $21,000 at state-run hospital

Peruvian police have dismantled an alleged criminal ring that had charged as much $21,000 per bed for seriously ill Covid-19 patients in a state-run hospital, aggravating care in a country hit by one of the world's deadliest outbreaks of the virus.

Authorities arrested nine people in an early morning raid on Wednesday, including the administrators of Lima's Guillermo Almenara Irigoyen public hospital, according to prosecutor Reynaldo Abia.