RANCHI: Jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, currently admitted to Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) in Ranchi, will be shifted to the official residence of RIMS director, also known as Kelly Bungalow located inside the campus.
The decision has been taken by RIMS administration as a precautionary measure looking at the soaring of COVID-19 cases in Jharkhand in the last few weeks.
According to doctors looking after him, RJD chief is a chronic patient of hypertension, diabetes, heart, kidney, and several other ailments, and hence, he must be kept away from patients suffering from COVID-19.
“To avoid infection from COVID-19, it was essential to keep Lalu ji away from hospital circuit. Therefore it was decided to shift him to some other place away from the hospital circuit. Kelly Bungalow is the most suitable place for him, where he can also take a stroll which is essential for a diabetic patient,” said Dr. Umesh Prasad, who is leading the team of doctors deployed for Lalu Yadav at RIMS.
As patients along with hospital doctors are being tested positive every day, recommendations for shifting him to some other place was done on Wednesday itself, which might have reached to the final stage, he added.
The doctor, however, said that the final decision will be taken by the jail administration.
Meanwhile, after getting approval from the state government and jail administration, Ranchi SP (City) Saurabh Kumar visited Kelly Bungalow on Friday to take stock of the security arrangements to be done for RJD Chief. The SP said that all aspects of security are being taken into consideration for Yadav.
Cleanliness drive at the bungalow is also being done on war-footing.
Hospital administration was alerted after three aides deputed for Lalu Yadav to help him in his day-to-day chorus in jail, were tested positive on Sunday.
Doctors treating RJD chief at RIMS had written to the hospital administration to shift him to some other place in order to protect him from getting infected from the deadly virus. They also cleared that RJD Chief has not shown any symptoms of COVID-19 so far.
Notably, 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 72-year-old RJD Chief was lodged in Birsa Munda Central jail in Ranchi but was shifted to RIMS looking at his deteriorating health conditions.