Varavara Rao tests positive for COVID-19, shifted to Mumbai's St George's hospital

The 81-year-old Hyderabad-based poet and activist had been admitted to the Sir JJ hospital on July 13 after his health deteriorated and following repeated pleas from his family. 
Arrested Revolutionary Varavara Rao (Photo | EPS)
Arrested Revolutionary Varavara Rao (Photo | EPS)

The 81-year-old Hyderabad-based poet and activist Varavara Rao, an accused in the Elgar Parishad case, has tested positive for COVID-19. 

Rao was admitted to the Sir JJ hospital on July 13 after his health deteriorated in jail and following repeated pleas from his family and was shifted to St. George's around 8:30 PM Thursday evening.  

The veteran is suffering from neurological problems, sources at St. George's told TNIE. His ECG and X-Ray showed no abnormalities, the source added.

A routine swab test done on July 14 confirmed he was COVID-19 positive on July 16 evening. 

"Mr Rao will be shifted to St George's hospital for further treatment. In Sir JJ hospital, the patients are not given COVID treatment. Therefore, he will be shifted to St George's hospital,” a doctor from Sir JJ hospital had said.

Susan Abraham, lawyer for Rao, was scathing in her condemnation of the treatment meted out to her client. 

"The COVID finding highlights the criminal negligence of the state jail authorities, who have been repeatedly warned about the danger of COVID in the Taloja Jail, and the fragile condition of the Hyderabad-based poet-writer. It is a matter of concern too that the trial court handling the Bhima Koregaon/Elgar Parishad case turned a deaf ear to pleas for medical bail despite the poor health condition of VV Rao and the danger of COVID," she said.

She also spoke of how the jail authorities had, after growing protests about the neglect of Varavara Rao, put another Bhima Koregaon accused, Vernon Gonsalves, to look after Rao in jail "thus putting Veron too at grave risk".

Abraham said the possible shifting of Rao to St George's hospital, which has a poor healthcare record, will be bad news.

"It may hardly be the place where VV Rao has a chance to recover. The only way VV stands a good chance is if the Bombay High Court, hearing the matter on Friday, gives him medical bail, and he is shifted to a decent private specialty hospital," she insisted.

Abraham further revealed that Varavara Rao's wife, Hemlata, his two daughters and nephew Venugopal, had met him in hospital on Wednesday. "They found him in a pathetic condition with the patient having to lie in urine-soaked clothes for hours, and with very little nursing aid available at the hospital," she said.

Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday had demanded to shift the activist to a super speciality hospital at the earliest.

"The condition of Shri Varavara Rao as described by his family is a matter of grave concern. It is beyond belief that the State, the police and the prison authorities can behave in such an inhuman manner under the watch of the NHRC," Chidambaram said on Twitter.

"Shri Varavara Rao should be released immediately and admitted to a super speciality hospital that will treat him properly," he demanded.

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