RANCHI: In a major relief to jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, all the samples taken from the doctors, nurses and other hospital staff taking care of him, tested negative for the coronavirus on Wednesday.
All the 22 staff of Medicine Ward of Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi were taken for examination after an elderly man, admitted to the ward of the doctor under whose supervision the RJD chief is undergoing treatment, tested positive on Monday.
“All the samples of hospital staff taken from medicine ward were found to be negative and hence, there is no need for Lalu ji to undergo a COVID-19 test,” said Dr Umesh Prasad.
Notably, taking precautions, all 22 people including Dr Umesh Prasad, were asked to remain in home quarantine.
After being convicted by a special CBI Court in Ranchi on December 23, 2017 in the second fodder scam case involving the illegal withdrawal of Rs 89.27 lakh from Deoghar treasury, the 71-year-old RJD chief was lodged in Birsa Munda Central jail in Ranchi but was shifted to RIMS in Ranchi looking at his deteriorating health conditions. Lalu Prasad is currently admitted to the 100-bed paying ward of RIMS.
The RJD chief, a heart patient with kidney ailments, had recently undergone a fistula operation at Asian Heart Institute in Mumbai.